PADRAIG HARRINGTON IS five shots off the lead heading into the final round of the Champions Tour’s season-ending Charles Schwab Championship in Phoenix, Arizona.
Harrington lost ground after a mixed Saturday in which two bogeys and a double-bogey compromised his six birdies, the Dubliner’s score of 69 leaving him in a tie for third.
New Zealand’s Steven Alker is four clear atop the leaderboard at Phoenix Country Club on 17 under par, adding a third-round 65 to his second-round 64 to pull clear of Germany’s Alex Cejka in standalone second.
Harrington and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee are a stroke further back on 12 under for the tournament.
Three-time major champion Harrington had put himself firmly in contention with a blemishless, eight-birdie 63 on Friday and even took a share of the lead with a routine two-putt birdie of the first on Saturday.
His march was slowed, however, by a bogey on the second followed by a string of pars while Alker began to turn the screw.
Back-to-back birdies on seven and eight and another on 10 took Harrington back to within two of the lead, but a double-bogey six after a wayward tee shot and a three-putt from the fringe put a spanner in the works.
He birdied again on 16 and 17 but bogeyed the last, tweeting his bemusement at his mixed fortunes following his round.
“Golf’s a crazy game,” Harrington said. “Warmed up terribly yesterday and shot 63, warmed up lovely today and shot 69.
“Two sixes coming home cost me dearly. I’m 5 behind in T3 so I need a big day tomorrow.”
