In Colorado Springs, Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink navigated the U.S. Senior Open for a second day in a row, positioning themselves at the top leaderboard. They will lead the weekend’s play at the challenging Broadmoor golf course, which presents both hilly terrains and tricky visuals.
Cink managed to bridge the gap by five strokes on the last nine holes as he played directly against Harrington. As they head into the weekend, the pair shares a leading score of 6-under 134, alongside Mark Hensby, who made a late surge. Cink matched Harrington’s back nine with a front-nine score of 31. Both players, noted for their powerful drives, averaging over 300 yards each on the senior tour, found the comfort of playing together beneficial, particularly given the altitude challenges.
Harrington acknowledged Cink’s slight advantage in driving distance, hinting at the advantage of understanding each other’s game. “I’d choose him as a partner anytime,” Harrington commented. Meanwhile, Hensby completed the day with another solid 3-under 67, accumulating 14 birdies over the course of the tournament thus far. Hensby managed a remarkable 20-foot birdie putt at the eighth hole after his ball was diverted by another on the green.
Falling three strokes behind were Thomas Bjorn with a 69, and Y.E. Yang and Billy Andrade, both finishing at 2 under. Darren Clarke, Steve Flesch, and Miguel Angel Jimenez followed at 1 under, with Jimenez’s round featuring an unconventional approach shot from near the driving range and a rare double hit, permissible without penalty.
Cink, demonstrating impressive accuracy, achieved all 18 greens in regulation, totaling 35 out of 36 so far in the tournament. Despite this, he labeled the statistic as somewhat overrated due to the complexity of the greens, which slant away from a massive monument above the course. “Avoiding downhill chips here is crucial,” said the 52-year-old Cink, who claimed the 2009 British Open and recently embarked on his U.S. Senior Open debut.
His performance peaked with a two-putt birdie from 45 feet on the ninth for a commendable score of 66, marking the event’s best round yet. Harrington, after also achieving 31 on the more demanding back nine and maintaining his lead with a birdie on the par-5 third, saw potential for pulling ahead before succumbing to a pair of bogeys through three-putts on the seventh and another slowed-down, sloped green.
Reflecting on his day, Harrington expressed a thought: “I was hoping for more, but nothing is assured.” However, the day closed on a high note as he deftly navigated a bunker challenge on the ninth, coordinating with Cink’s putt trajectory for a decisive birdie. “I gained a perfect read from Stewart’s shot,” Harrington acknowledged.
Despite some notable players missing the cut, such as Bernhard Langer and Angel Cabrera by three strokes, excitement brews for the coming days. Last time’s Broadmoor champion, David Toms, skillfully secured his spot by birdying the 18th hole. His approach underscored an enduring golf adage, “Playing on the weekend is what it’s all about—anything can unfold.”
Saturday’s spotlight will undoubtedly remain on Harrington and Cink, reflecting on their history in Ryder Cup matches. Exhibiting respect, Cink remarked on enjoying Harrington’s style, hoping their mutual respect might carry them through this stage of the competition.