If he is to retain his title at the ISPS Handa Seniors Open at Gleneagles, then Pádraig Harrington – who did successfully defend his US Seniors Open title earlier this month – will have to do it the hard way, after the 54-year-old Dubliner shot a level-par 70 to trail first-round leader Cameron Percy of Australia by seven strokes.Harrington was motoring nicely in turning one-under, only to hit a television camera with his approach into the 10th – “it ricocheted into some rubbish,” he said – in running up a bogey six and then bogeyed the 12th before getting back to level with a closing birdie.“It was obviously not my best day but, you know, it’s that sort of golf course out there. You can feel a bit cautious and intimidated. There’s lots of trouble. Look, I’m a long way back at the moment, but there are 54 holes (left), so, If I free up a little bit, maybe I’ll catch up,” said Harrington, who is playing for a seventh straight week in moving between the Champions Tour and the main circuits.Of looking for a clearer mindset for the rest of the championship, Harrington claimed: “If I do free up and not worry about it, I’d be a lot better off but that’s always the battle when you’re playing golf. If you have a clear mind, you’d be the best player in the world.”Paul McGinley, making a rare appearance on the seniors circuit away from his television punditry, recovered from a bogey-double bogey speed bump by responding with three birdies in four holes on his back nine in signing for a two-under-par 68 while Darren Clarke opened with a 71.Percy, yet to win on the seniors circuit, opened with a brilliant 63 which consisted of eight birdies and a bogey. “I drove it really good but you have to here. I didn’t hit in the rough once.”In the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open at Dundonald Links, where South Korea’s Jenny Shin claimed the first-round lead with a six-under 66, Leona Maguire – who had missed the cut in three of her last four tournaments – carded a solid level-par 72 to be inside the top 20. Nelly Korda, the world number one, also opened with a 72.
Hard work ahead for Pádraig Harrington as he tries to hold on to his seniors open title
Dubliner hits TV camera and is trailing leader Cameron Percy in first round of ISPS Handa Seniors Open









