Padraig Harrington won the 2022 Charles Schwab Cup Championship with a staggering seven strokes.
He noted that the course layout will probably not be the same as last year’s PGA Tour Champions final.
He said, “The course is in fantastic shape,” after the pro-am on Wednesday. The course seems to have been a bit tougher this year. They don’t ever want to see another 27 below par.”
The leaders have a goal of 22 under par, which is well below what Harrington achieved a year earlier. Nevertheless, there were low scores to be found Friday at Phoenix Country Club where temperatures peaked at 77 degrees under sunny, clear skies.
Harrington’s scorecard featured eight birdies but no bogeys. He is the first player to reach double-digits under par. After 36 holes, he has 10 under.
Steven Alker, Marco Dawson and the other co-leaders have each shot 64 for a total of 11 under. Both golfers birdied Nos. The final stretch of the course includes 13, 16, and 18. Alker has won the 2022 Schwab Cup Series title.
The greens today seemed to be moving faster. “The ball was flying farther for some reason. Maybe I was hitting it more, I don’t know,” Alker said. “But it appeared to go a long distance.”
In the scrum of media after his round, Dawson admitted that it had been some time since he last contended.
Q. When was the last occasion that you took the lead?
MARCO DAWSON : I can’t recall. Perhaps at home with my friends. (Laughs.)
Q: Did you win the lottery?
MARCO DAWSON MARCO: I know I think I did.
Harrison Frazar is tied for third place with Harrington, having won the 2023 Schwab Cup playoff event three weeks earlier; Alex Cejka has a blistering back-nine of 29. He made six birdies in the second nine holes, including four consecutive ones on Nos. Thongchai Jaidee shot a 67 after shooting back-to-back birds on Nos. 15, 16, 17 and 18.
Ernie Els’ first-round score of 63, which is tied as the lowest round so far this week, was followed by a 70, and he and Richard Green, along with Stephen Ames, are tied for 6th place at 9 under.
Thirteen players are within four shots of winning.
The 72-hole season-ender, with no cuts, concludes on Sunday. Steve Stricker will not be present to receive his Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs series trophy. He won the season long points race prior to the start of the playoffs. He announced his father’s hospitalization late Wednesday afternoon.
Harrington has moved on, even though the PGA Tour Champions will end its season this Sunday. Harrington is on the list of entries for the RSM Classic, which will be held on the PGA Tour next week. It’s the final event in the 2023 FedEx Cup fall series.
