Harrington waits until after U.S. Open round to discuss PGA Tour-Saudi partnership with Mickelson
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Padraig Harrington and Phil Mickelson discussed many things during their two days playing in the same group at the U.S. Open. The announced partnership between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the primary funder of rival circuit LIV Golf, was not among them.
Harrington waited until after Friday's round to address the subject with Mickelson.
“We stopped at the end and talked for about five minutes because I was trying to get it off my chest. You don’t want to get into things like that on the course because you get distracted,” Harrington said.
Mickelson is one of the ringleaders of LIV. His infamously pointed criticisms of the tour were one of the biggest flashpoints in its messy dispute with the Saudi-funded upstart.
Mickelson, who turned 53 on Friday, shot a second-round 74, including a double bogey on the par-3 ninth hole. With a 3-over 143, he missed the cut by one shot.
Mickelson did not stop to answer questions from reporters after his round.
Harrington said he didn’t ask whether there was a possibility that Mickelson would rejoin the PGA Tour Champions. Harrington added that he would welcome Mickelson back.
Mickelson is playing in his 32nd U.S. Open. If he misses the cut, it would be the third time he hasn’t made it to the weekend in the last four years.
Harrington shot 69 on Friday and was at 2-over 142 for the tournament.
MUCH-NEEDED ACE
Matt Fitzpatrick’s chances of defending his U.S. Open title are slim. Yet he was able to produce a memorable moment.
Fitzpatrick made his first hole-in-one as a professional during Friday’s second round.
Using a sand wedge on the 115-yard, par-3 15th, Fitzpatrick bounced his tee shot right of the hole, then watched it spin into the cup.
Fitzpatrick didn’t see the ball go in, but after hearing the crowd roar and taking a few steps off the tee box, he started celebrating.
“As soon as I hit it I thought that it got a good chance of going close anyway,” Fitzpatrick said. “My hand was a bit sore afterward, I’ll be honest, after all the high-fiving.”
It was the third hole-in-one on No. 15 this week. Matthieu Pavon and Sam Burns both aced it on Thursday when it was playing at 124 yards.
However, it was the first time a defending champion has recorded a 1 during the U.S. Open. It also turned out to be sorely needed.
Fitzpatrick shot an ever-par 70 and was 1 over through 36 holes.
“Without that, I probably wouldn’t be here for the weekend. Being the defending champion here makes it a little bit more special to play out the week, regardless of the position,” he said.
The only other U.S. Open championship in which there were three or more holes-in-one on one hole was No. 6 at Oak Hill in 1989 with four.
TRIO OF NOTE
Fitzpatrick was grouped with reigning U.S. Amateur champion Sam Bennett and Cameron Smith, who won last year’s British Open.
Bennett has continued his excellent play in majors. He was at 5-under 135 at the midway point.
Bennett, who turned professional earlier this month, was four shots back after two rounds of the Masters before finishing tied for 16th.
Smith was 4 under after a second-round 67.
TOP AMATEUR
Gordon Sargent was at even par at the midway point to lead all amateurs in the field. The Vanderbilt sophomore and 2022 NCAA champion was in red figures until he bogeyed the 18th.
“I had some good shots, but also some squirrelly ones. But, yeah, it’s nice to put two solid rounds together and be there for the weekend,” Sargent said.
Maxwell Moldovan, Ben Carr and South Africa's Aldrich Potgieter were the other amateurs to make the cut, all of them on the number at 2 over.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Moldovan, who earned one of the final three spots in the field as an alternate, made it to the weekend after a second straight 71.
“I had a 3-foot putt at sectionals to make it for sure and missed it. And then I had a 3-foot putt here on 9 that hopefully might get me in the weekend and made it,” said Moldovan, an Ohio State senior. “I just tried to persevere and have a lot of faith. I didn’t give myself birdie opportunities, but I made a ton of good par putts to keep myself in it.”
Moldovan qualified for the U.S. Open last year but missed the cut.
FRIDAY'S BEST
Min Woo Lee had the best score of the second round, a 5-under 65.
He is the third Australian in the last 20 years to shoot the day's lowest round in a U.S. Open. Robert Allenby had the best score in the final round in 2004 at Shinnecock Hills, and Adam Scott did the same in the last round at Chambers Bay in 2015.
Lee's sister, Minjee, won the U.S. Women's Open last year for her second major.
Seeking his first, Lee is tied for sixth at the midway point at 6 under. He had a 407-yard drive on the 555-yard, par-4 16th, setting up one of his six birdies.
“Hitting it well, driving it well, driving it a long way actually, which is nice on this course because it’s long. Just not making too many mistakes,” Lee said. “Putted also well, and everything is working pretty good, which is nice.”
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