Padraig Harrington leads Senior PGA Championship


Padraig Harrington, the 51-year-old Irishman, opened the 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship with a bang.

The Dubliner fired an 8-under par 64, the bottom 18-hole rating he has recorded all season on the Champions Tour.

“I’ve fairly a number of course information, however this one could be a pleasant one to personal by the tip of the week, hopefully,” Harrington mentioned to NBC’s Jimmy Roberts following his spherical. “Not that I have to go decrease once more, however hopefully, no one passes me by.”

Regardless of having a file spherical, it didn’t get off to an incredible begin. He bogeyed the difficult par-4 tenth gap to start the championship.

Harrington started to show issues round on the par-5 14th, his fifth gap of the day, the place he made his first of 4 birdies.

His opening spherical took off on the 18th gap, the place he made an eagle three on the 544-yard par-5.

After making the flip, Harrington made one other eagle on the first gap, chipping in from 25 ft—the opening gap at Fields Ranch East measures 569 yards, that means the primary and ultimate holes are scorable par-5s.

KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship - Round One

FRISCO, Texas — Padraig Harrington of Eire putts on the eighth inexperienced through the first spherical of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco.
Photograph by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Photos

“It was a steadiness of issues going properly, however I holed a number of putts, as you at all times do if you happen to shoot a low quantity,” Harrington added. “I believe I’ve been placing very well however probably not holing something. I holed a 35-footer on the 2nd, and a few 15-footers, however to shoot a low one, you genuinely want a number of balls to drop.”

Harrington will head into the second spherical with a two-shot lead over Katsumasa Miyamoto of Japan, who opened with a 6-under par 66.

With that mentioned, who is aware of what this weekend will usher in Texas, as these gamers are seeing PGA Frisco’s Discipline Ranch East course for the primary time.

This course, newly designed by famend golf course architect Gil Hanse, will host 12 championships within the coming years, together with the 2027 and 2034 PGA Championships.

The 2027 PGA Championship will mark the primary time a significant is held in Texas in over 50 years.

However the focus stays on the 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, the place an Irishman is off to a scorching begin within the Texas warmth.