U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 27, 2025

Padraig Harrington

The Broadmoor (East Course)

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: 3-under 67, here with Padraig Harrington. You got off to a hot start, but on the back, which did play harder yesterday. What were the conditions like compared to yesterday?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: We got up there this morning, and it was perfect. No wind, and it was reasonably warm, so the ball was already going.

Played the first couple of holes really nicely, hit some really nice shots and obviously holed the putts afterwards, so that was a good start. I was hoping I'd make more of it. I made a mis-club on 15 to make bogey, and then obviously going into the front nine you're hoping to make some birdies. Nothing is guaranteed.

I didn't get up-and-down out of the bunker on 2. I two-putted 3. Then I had two three-putts -- I hit a beautiful shot into 4, straight at the pin. It was into the wind and the wind just died down, and I left myself in a treacherous spot. I didn't like three-putting, but it was kind of expected in that position to three-putt, and the other hole was straight up the hill, which was disappointing. I hit two good putts to three-putt it, which was no fun.

Birdieing the last hole, I holed a 20-footer, probably rushed my second shot with the thunder. I really was keen to get the second shot played because if you get called in and you've got a full shot to go, you have to go and do a full warmup, and that would be costly for the week if you have to go back to the range for a half hour or an hour to warm up, it's going to wear on your body for the week.

Happy to get that shot played and then happy to get finished in total.

Q. 3-under yesterday, 3-under today; what was the better round?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I wouldn't say either of them were better, but today had a better opportunity. If you get 3-under early on on the back nine, there is possibilities with the two par-5s and the drivable par-4. The start I got this morning, I was hoping to go a little lower and maybe try and get away from the field.

As I said yesterday, most of Thursday and Friday is jockeying for position, keeping yourself in the tournament, trying not to lose the tournament, but after the start I had today, I could have got some daylight between myself and the field and got out there.

I just have to go and do it all again the next two days.

Q. You made a long one on 9. I think you made a long one on 17 maybe. Were those relatively easy reads for this place, or is there such a thing?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, both of them are 20-footers uphill right to left. The one on 9, I got a lovely read off Stewart. I don't think I would have given it as much break, so that was nice.

We're seeing that a lot lately, aren't we, people getting reads? That was advantageous. They're the breaks you get when things are going well. The one on 17, I had hit it in practice, so it was a good putt to have again, 20 feet. I had hit a lovely 9-iron in there, might have even been 20 feet, 18 feet.

The sort of distance -- I had a lot of putts at those distances today, and I holed -- I'm sure I holed one on 10, as well.

The difference was I holed three or four of them today, but I probably had around 15 of them. So it was a reasonable return, but you never take them for granted.

Q. The other one, I heard you on TV talking about playing with Stewart, just to reiterate the question, was that a benefit to be able to play with --

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Oh, it is a benefit, yeah. I played with Stewart a lot over the years, and a lot of my good tournaments have been played with Stewart, so he's a good partner for me always. I think on the Champions Tour, it's a better partner because there's a lot of similarities in our clubs.

If anything, he'd be a little bit longer than me, but his irons -- but I suppose I know his game enough that I can see what's happening, as well. He is definitely a partner I would choose to play with.

Q. Is it a relief to get this day over with with the rain stoppage? Also, what are your thoughts on this course?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I think it was a big deal to get finished when it came in. I don't think the rain stoppage is going to be for long. It looks like they're holding in place, so they're going to go pretty quickly. But for us, if we had to cool down and come back out, it wouldn't have been great for the week.

Now I have -- this is the advantage of having a late-early tee time. It gives you an extra -- I probably got close to 24 hours before my next round, so it's time to rest and get your head in place because it's going to be a long weekend from now for sure. When you're at the top of the leaderboard all week, it's always a stressful week.

As regards the golf course, the greens, it's all about the greens. It's all about keeping yourself in position on those greens, trying to stay underneath the hole. Knowing where you can attack pin positions, where are the right places to hit it. That is a little bit difficult because I wouldn't be that familiar with the golf course.

But that's the biggest key is having a good mental picture of the green and the pin position as you're playing into each hole.

Q. Your driving distance, what kind of advantage is that giving you on this course, especially given the way the greens are playing?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, it gives you a bit. It obviously gives you an advantage. If you drive the ball well and straight, it gives you an advantage. Certainly most holes you're going in with wedges, which yeah, it's a big advantage as long as you drive well. Yeah, it is a double-edged sword, there's no doubt about it. If you drive it well, it's a huge advantage.

We're seeing that in all of golf, that if you can shorten the hole with good tee shots, you're going to make the game easier.

Q. The altitude, everybody talks about club length, but what about just stamina, walking uphill --

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I think we're able to do that.

I will say I struggle with my knees, and 72 holes is going to be a long tournament mentally, but I don't think the altitude is in any shape or form an issue adding to that. It's a tiny issue, but no, not bothering me at all.