Padraig Harrington has had two very good opening rounds at the Genesis Scottish Open. He is currently T7, with a score of -7, but is already thinking about The Open Championship.
The Irishman believes he is capable of "challenging anybody," judging by how he has been performing in recent tournaments. In particular, he feels comfortable on old-style golf courses, such as the one that hosts the Scottish Open.
Harrington spoke to the press after his second round at The Renaissance Golf Club. This was part of what he said, according to SB Nation:
“I feel I can challenge anybody on a links golf course route, no doubt. From years of playing, it comes naturally to me. And I don’t have a problem coming back and playing with the young guys on any golf course, but obviously, links makes it a little easier for me.”
Logically, playing in Scotland now and in England next week is an advantage for some players. Harrington knows the region very well, as far as golf is concerned, and the Renaissance course does not escape that knowledge. He said:
“I’m comfortable here at the Renaissance, and I should know more about this golf course than nearly any other player. Maybe [Scottish] Stevie Gallacher would know a little bit more, but I’m very familiar.”
Harrington also talked about what he has done in the Scottish Open so far. There, he stands out on a leaderboard led by the also Irish (but on the British side) Rory McIlroy.
Harrington said about his first two rounds at Scottland:
“Pretty solid. It was not a lot of drama. It was pretty straightforward. I wish golf was as simple as that all the time. So it was nice playing.
“I hit it very straight off the tee, which, if you do that around here, the second shots are big enough targets. So driving the ball well certainly makes for stress-free golf.”
Padraig Harrington at the Scottish Open
Padraig Harrington has been very steady at the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open. He had a first round of three-under 67, with four birdies and one bogey.
The second day closed with a four-under 66. It could have been better, as he made six birdies, but two bogeys on holes 1 and 8 prevented him from doing so. He will be teeing off on Saturday at T7 with a score of -7.
During the 2023 season, Harrington has played just five PGA Tour events prior to the Scottish Open. His best finish was T10 at the Valero Texas Open.
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