Brian Keogh

PGA Irish Championship

Determined Damien McGrane faces one of the biggest challenges of his career today - ignoring Padraig Harrington in a head-to-head battle.

The Meath machine fired a bogey free 68 to get to two under par and trail leader Harrington by just one shot at the halfway stage of the PGA Irish Championship.

Harrington chiseled out a two under par 70 to top the leaderboard on three under par at spectacular PGA National near Naas.

But McGrane does not want to get involved in a matchplay style battle with the world No 12 when they are paired together today.

He said: “I will be playing with one of the best in the game and it doesn’t get any better than that. I don’t think I have played in a tournament with Padraig before.

“But at the end of the day you are playing the course, not the man, and it is a difficult course. I have a hard day’s work ahead of me without trying to take on Padraig as well.”

McGrane began his bogey free 68 with a six iron to 20 feet for birdie at the eighth.

At the 10th he holed a bunker shot from 15 yards to get back to level par for the tournament.

But there was better to come as he two putted the long 14th to get into red figures and then rifled a nine-iron to 20 feet at the 17th for birdie number four.

Harrington, meanwhile, continued his battle to regain his best form with a facile 70 that contained four birdies and two bogeys.

And he confessed that while he is happy to be on the course, he still needs to work on his focus.

He said: “I certainly have a few things to work on and I find out on the course as I am going along.

“It is all about focus. Not technique, just focus. I can stand up and the range hit every shot you care to call.

“But when I am standing the golf course, I might stand up to hit one of those shots and I am doubting that I can hit it.

“If I stand up to hit a fade I should trust it, whether I do or don’t. But I am standing there saying, you are going to miss this right. It comes down to self confidence and so many different things. I am thinking too much. I do not have a quiet mind on the golf course.

“I didn’t putt as well today but that’s because of focus and the fact that every putt I had was downhill, bar one.”



Peter Lawrie is just three shots behind leader Harrington on level par after a 71, tied with Lisburn’s Stephen Hamill (69) and Sligo man Francis Howley (70).

Hamill was second to Paul McGinley at Fota Island in 1997, but he does not believe he is playing well enough to challenge for the title.

After firing six birdies, one bogey and a double bogey in his round, Hamill put it all down to luck and a hot putter.

He said: “I was fairly lucky with the putter and some of the pars were better than some of the birdies.

“I’ve been very lucky. I have hit a lot bad shots in two days but I have managed to putt well and I am delighted to be where I am.

“I just don’t see myself winning the way I have played the last couple of days. When the pressure comes on, if you are not swinging with confidence against these guys you are unlikely to be up there.”

Overnight leader Cathal Barry carded a three over par 75 to fall back to sixth place on three over par with David Higgins and Gary Murphy in a large group a further shot back on four over.

The cut fell at 11 over par which meant an early exit for last year’s runner up Philip Walton, who had a nightmare 81 to miss out by two strokes.