Defending champion Padraig Harrington, yet to retain a title in his professional career, has given himself the chance to correct that at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Heidelberg tomorrow.
A day which began with Ryder Cup hopeful Ian Poulter pulling out after hearing his fiancee had gone into labour saw Harrington move from eighth place into a share of second. But it took a lecture to himself after a disappointing front nine for it to happen.
Five behind after each of the first two rounds, the Dubliner defied windy conditions to come home in 32 to finish with a 68 and a 10-under-par total of 206. He and South African Trevor Immelman (69) will start the final round just two behind France's Gregory Havret, who, in the race for the £335,561 first prize and a bagful of Ryder Cup points, shot 68 to take over at the top from a faltering Alex Cejka.
"Going down the 10th I had to remind myself what I was trying to do," commented Harrington. "To be level par after nine holes was a big disappointment. It's easy to go into your own little world and sulk a bit, but I realised there were still 27 holes to go and a look at the leaderboard told me nobody was running away. It was a question of getting my act together and it turned around very quickly, although I didn't feel I had to do it straightaway."
He made a 15-footer on the 10th, chipped in from 24 yards for eagle at the 12th and added further birdies on the 13th and 15th. There was still some more disappointment to come. First a six on the long 17th after he fell asleep on the tee and then a missed six-foot birdie chance at the last. "Shots are hard to come by on Sunday, so why let them slip on Saturday?" he said.
Poulter, meanwhile, was back at home celebrating the birth of his second child, a boy named Luke James. Due to tee off in the second group of the day at 7.24am, Poulter had received a call in the early hours that he was about to become a father again. The baby arrived a day earlier than expected and too soon for Poulter to be there at the birth.
Poulter, currently eighth in the race for places in Europe's team, said two weeks ago that if he was in contention in Germany he would probably leave fiancee Katie to it if she went into labour and pursue his ambition of a cup debut.
As it was, he had survived the halfway cut with nothing to spare at two over par, 13 adrift of halfway leader Cejka. Havret's one tour win was the 2001 Italian Open, but the 27-year-old lost a play-off in South Africa in January and is a best-ever 32nd on the Order of Merit at present.
He came back well from the shock of triple-bogeying the final hole in the second round after joining Cejka out in front. As it was, the German was the one to slide, managing only a 76 and bringing playing partner David Howell down with him. The Swindon golfer, tied for second with Havret, had a 75.
Darren Clarke, seeking his first win in Europe since the 2002 English Open, moved into fifth spot with a 70 - he matched Harrington's eagle on the 12th - and alongside him is Joakim Haeggman after a best-of-the-day 66.
Filed by Barry J Whyte
