BMW PGA to resume; Moran in position; Grehan wins; Harrington leads

Padraig Harrington reacts after a putt on the fourth hole during the second round at the 2022 U.S. Senior Open at Saucon Valley C.C. (Old Course) in Bethlehem, Pa. on Friday, June 24, 2022. (Chris Keane/USGA)

The DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship will resume today as a 54-hole event following the death of Queen Elizabeth and the cancellation of play yesterday.

In a statement, the Tour said the event would “give players, caddies, staff, volunteers and spectators the opportunity to come together across the weekend, not only to express their condolences but also to celebrate the extraordinary life of Her Majesty.”

Play was suspended late on Thursday and all play was cancelled yesterday out of respect for the Royal Family.

While all football fixtures in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have been postponed this weekend, the Tour pointed out that in resuming today, they were joining other sports, including the Men’s Test Match between England and South Africa and the Women’s IT20 match between England and India, Premiership Rugby Union, Rugby League and the Great North Run in the north east of England.

The decision was taken, the Tour said, “in accordance with Official National Mourning guidance and in consultation with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).”

The second round will start at 6.40 am with the 30 players still to conclude their opening rounds teeing off at 7:30 am.

The Tour said 72 holes was not possible as they “cannot guarantee the staff, facilities or security of the venue on Monday due to the ongoing plans for the state funeral,” making it a 54-hole event for the first time since 1984.

Tommy Fleetwood, Andy Sullivan and Viktor Hovland lead on eight-under-par with Shane Lowry six-under, Rory McIlroy four-under, Graeme McDowell one-under and Jonathan Caldwell three-over.

On the PGA Tour Champions, Pádraig Harrington made a fast start in his bid for his third win of the season in the Ascension Charity Classic in St Louis.

The Dubliner, second behind Steven Alker in the race for the $1m Charles Schwab Cup title, made a 12 footer for par at the 18th and shot a bogey-free, six-under 65 to share the first-round lead with Bernhard Langer, one clear of the New Zealander, Ernie Els, José María Olazábal, Mike Weir and Steve Flesch as Darren Clarke shot 68 to share 16th.

He’s now becoming accustomed to leading and that’s required a new mindset from his regular tour days.

“Traditionally, my whole career I've always been a much better player with my back to the wall,” he said. “What I'm finding here on the Champions Tour is I've got to learn how to play, you know, when I'm favourite, when I'm up front, when I'm out leading, when I've got a lead.

“That's a different skill set and it's not something I've ever been -- I've never been really good at it. I was never good at it as an amateur, I was never good at it as a pro. I always found, you know, I was a much better chaser than somebody out in front.

“And the one thing about the Champions Tour now is I've had a few leads and I have to learn, and I am learning. I'm getting better as a player, I'm definitely much more positive about my chances in that situation. Yeah, hard to believe, 51 years of age and I'm getting better mentally.”

Adding that it’s taken work to learn a new mindset, he added: “I can't always be relying on those scary eyes and that focus, can't be relying on that all the time. I've got to have more control of what I'm doing rather than necessarily relying on the outside agencies.”

At the First Stage Section B of the DP World Tour Q-School, Castle amateur Robert Moran shot a four-under 68 to move up to tied 10th on 11-under with a round to play at Montado Golf Resort in Portugal, leaving him a shot inside the top 23 and ties who will qualify for November’s Second Stage.

“Pretty happy,” Moran said. “Just made a mess of 14 from the fairway with a wedge but played nicely for the rest of the round. I only missed two greens so I was quite solid most of the way round. Same again tomorrow hopefully.”

Meanwhile, Tullamore’s Stuart Grehan (29) beat Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy with a birdie at the seventh extra hole to win the EuroPro Tour’s Spey Valley Resort event.

Grehan shot a five-under 66 and McElroy a 67 to tie with Scot Michael Stewart, who was eliminated on the third tie hole, on nine-under.

Grehan won €14,423 to move up to ninth in the Order of Merit with second-ranked McElroy all but guaranteed one of five Challenge Tour cards.

In amateur golf, Rockmount beat Greenacres 4-1 to win the AIG Women’s Minor Cup at PGA National Slieve Russell, where East Cork and Coollattin will contest today’s AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield final.

Tipperary will face Headfort as Belvoir Park take on Greystones in the semi-finals of the AIG Challenge Cup and a minute’s silence was observed at midday as a mark of respect for the Queen.