Padraig Harrington, 51, makes cut at U.S. Open

Padraig Harrington earned his spot at the U.S. Open by winning last year’s U.S. Senior Open.

It wasn’t just a cameo.

Harrington, 51, will play the weekend at The Los Angeles Country Club, opening in rounds of 73-69 at LACC for a 2-over total. As the sun came out Friday afternoon and the course firmed up, Harrington’s score settled safely inside the cut line.

Two years ago, Harrington memorably finished T4 at the PGA Championship at age 49, a few months before joining PGA TOUR Champions. It was a harbinger of things to come, as he rattled off four wins on the 2022 Champions Tour en route to a runner-up finish on the Charles Schwab Cup behind Steven Alker.

After completing his second round Friday, Harrington mused that he feels like a better player now than just prior to turning 50.

“You know what? I’m a lot better than I was two years ago,” Harrington said Friday. “I putt a lot better than that, my game is a lot better, I hit the ball better.

“That was a big week, probably a bit of an outlier, that PGA. I wouldn't think it would be an outlier for me to do the same again. So I am in a lot better a place than that performance two years ago.”

After an opening-round 73 at LACC, Harrington started fast Friday with a front-nine, 3-under 32 that included birdies on Nos. 6, 8 and 9. He fell back slightly with bogeys on Nos. 13 and 17, both par 4s in excess of 520 yards, but his sterling front nine proved enough to earn two more rounds at the season’s third major championship.

This marks Harrington’s 13th made cut in 17 U.S. Open appearances; he has recorded three top-five finishes, most recently in 2012. The Irishman holds three major titles – back-to-back victories at The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008, in addition to the 2008 PGA Championship.

Harrington also made the cut at last month’s PGA Championship, finishing T50.

With two more rounds at LACC this weekend, he’ll look to build confidence toward next month’s Open Championship – as well as the upcoming senior major slate, including the U.S. Senior Open in two weeks.

“I think at this stage, I want to go out there and shoot good scores so that the next major, I feel comfortable in the environment,” Harrington said. “So that's where you're at. Making the cut is not going to define anything in my career. I really hope I make the cut, but I want to go out there and play in a major and shoot some good scores. That builds confidence, so that when I come back to the next major, I feel comfortable in the environment.”

At the time, Harrington wasn’t sure whether his 2-over total would be enough to survive the cut line.

Turns out, it was.