PADRAIG HARRINGTON’S SEASON-LONG FedEx Cup odyssey could be drawing to a close after he only just managed to break par in the first round of the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship.
On a low-scoring day at Sedgefield Country Club, North Carolina, the Dubliner’s one-under-par round of 69 was enough to secure a share of the 67th place overnight.
Though he entered the tournament on the assumption that it would help him move up the FedEx Cup rankings, encouraging performances from a number of similarly panicked players have seen Harrington’s projected ranking actually drop two places.
Of the players attempting a similarly dramatic eleventh-hour rescue of their season, the performance of Jeff Quinney was by far the most impressive.
In search of a win this week as a means of copper-fastening his Tour status, the former US Amateur champion carded a round a seven-under-par round of 63 to share the lead with Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey heading into the second round.
There were also encouraging performances from Ernie Els, Paul Casey and Justin Leonard, each of whom is chasing a high finish this week as a means of the rescuing a disappointing season.
