Padraig Harrington breaks course record to lead Transitions Championship – Golf News
The three-time major winner, Padraig Harrington, fired a bogey-free round of 10-under par 61 to take a three-stroke lead in the Transitions Championship, at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Florida.
Harrington carded a total of 10 birdies, five each on the front nine and back nine, to break the course record on Thursday, March 15, 2012.
While teeing off at the 16th holes, he had a single stroke lead over Will Claxton. He then carded three back-to-back birdies to increase the distance with his opponents on the leaderboard.
"I play better on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday than I do on the Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday," said Harrington, who is winless for the last 37 tournaments he played.
He continued, "I am trying to stay patient. I know my game is good. One of the hardest things is to wait with confidence. I'm feeling like things are ready to happen".
He added, "Obviously, today it showed the potential. Today is a peak. But we'll wait and see what happens over the next number of weeks".
Claxton, who stood second with a seven-under par 64 in the opening round on Thursday, also shot a bogey-free round. He carded a total of five birdies and a spectacular eagle on the par-five 14.
Currently, he is three-strokes behind the leader. However, if he could have managed the same score in the last seven years at the Transitions, he could have been in the lead in the past as well.
It was only Harrington who brought the real change on the course. His score was 8.7 shots better as compared to the course average.
Two strokes further behind Claxton, there were a total of seven players. Cameron Tringale, John Senden, Kenny Perry, Jason Dufner, William McGirt, Jason Bohn and Jim Furyk, shared the third spot with a five-under par 66 score.
Justin Rose, who won the Cadillac Championship, last week, shot a four-under par 67 to share the 10th place with nine other players.
The former world number one, Luke Donald, was also among the players to tie for the 10th on the leaderboard.
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