FORMER OPEN CHAMPION Brian Harman had eight birdies in a six-under-par 66 to surge to a four-shot lead at the PGA Tour Texas Open in San Antonio.
Harman, chasing his first victory since his 2023 Open Championship triumph at Royal Liverpool, built a 12-under-par total at TPC San Antonio, and was four clear of fellow American Keith Mitchell
But there was disappointment for both Pádraig Harrington and Seamus Power who shot two-over and four-over respectively on Friday to finish well outside the weekend cut.
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Both players needed victories in San Antonio to secure the final invitation to the Masters at Augusta National next week.
“I didn’t have my best game,” Harrington wrote on X afterwards. “Not a lot of trust at the moment and too much searching over the ball.
Harman opened with a 10-foot birdie at the 10th and added an eight-foot birdie at the 12th. After a bogey at 16, he reeled four birdies in a row, starting with a nine-footer at 17. He rolled in an 11-foot birdie at the 18th before birdie putts of six and 10 feet at the first and second.
A three-foot birdie at the fifth left Harman four strokes up with four to play and he stuck his tee shot at the par-three seventh within four feet for another birdie.
Harman dropped a shot at his final hole, the par-four ninth, where his tee shot found the left rough among the trees and his 12-foot putt to save par narrowly missed.
Overnight leader Sam Ryder was still in the mix despite a two-over 74 that featured four bogeys and two birdies and left him tied for third on seven-under par.
He was joined on seven-under by Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune and England’s Matt Wallace, who both shot 67. All are among the players in the field who could earn an invitation to the Masters with a victory on Sunday.
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Harman goes four clear as Harrington and Power miss Texas Open cut
FORMER OPEN CHAMPION Brian Harman had eight birdies in a six-under-par 66 to surge to a four-shot lead at the PGA Tour Texas Open in San Antonio.
Harman, chasing his first victory since his 2023 Open Championship triumph at Royal Liverpool, built a 12-under-par total at TPC San Antonio, and was four clear of fellow American Keith Mitchell
But there was disappointment for both Pádraig Harrington and Seamus Power who shot two-over and four-over respectively on Friday to finish well outside the weekend cut.
Both players needed victories in San Antonio to secure the final invitation to the Masters at Augusta National next week.
“I didn’t have my best game,” Harrington wrote on X afterwards. “Not a lot of trust at the moment and too much searching over the ball.
Harman opened with a 10-foot birdie at the 10th and added an eight-foot birdie at the 12th. After a bogey at 16, he reeled four birdies in a row, starting with a nine-footer at 17. He rolled in an 11-foot birdie at the 18th before birdie putts of six and 10 feet at the first and second.
A three-foot birdie at the fifth left Harman four strokes up with four to play and he stuck his tee shot at the par-three seventh within four feet for another birdie.
Harman dropped a shot at his final hole, the par-four ninth, where his tee shot found the left rough among the trees and his 12-foot putt to save par narrowly missed.
Overnight leader Sam Ryder was still in the mix despite a two-over 74 that featured four bogeys and two birdies and left him tied for third on seven-under par.
He was joined on seven-under by Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune and England’s Matt Wallace, who both shot 67. All are among the players in the field who could earn an invitation to the Masters with a victory on Sunday.
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Brian Harman Golf PGA Tour Texas Open