Pádraig Harrington finally found some form in Saturday’s round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. The 54-year-old struggled with scoring on Thursday and Friday but laid that to rest to post an impressive five-under round on day three to climb the leaderboard.
Starting the day in T23, Harrington needed a strong showing in Saturday’s round and the three-time major champion did just that as he closed out his round with some imposing golf.
Harrington’s first birdie came at the par-4 fifth, before adding another at the par-5 seventh to take the turn at two-under for the day.
Harrington, who won this event in 2022, showed his class at the par-4 12th as he split the fairway from the tee to make his third birdie of the day.
Harrington added another at the 14th, and again at the 16th before dropping a shot to make bogey at the par-4 17th.
At the last, Harrington managed close out on a high, making birdie at the par-5 18th to post a 66 and climb the leaderboard to T17 on seven-under.
It wasn’t a day to remember for Tyrone’s Darren Clarke as the 2011 Open winner posted a two-over round which consisted of no birdies as the 57-year-old dropped down the leaderboard to T25 on four-under.
A wayward tee shot saw Clarke make bogey at the par-4 ninth, before adding another at the par-5 18th after a drop penalty.
Holding his round two lead is Order of Merit leader Steven Alker as the Aussie posted a consecutive six-under 65 to take him to 17-under for the tournament.
Alker looks to become the fourth three-time winner of the 2025 season on PGA TOUR Champions, joining Miguel Angel Jiménez (four), Ángel Cabrera (three) and Steve Allan (three).
Alker entered the week no.1 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings and is now projected to win the cup heading into the final round, which would be the third time the 54-year-old managed the feat, joining Bernhard Langer (six) as a three-time cup winner. Alker has only made one bogey so far this week.
USA’s Stewart Cink occupies solo second place as the 52-year-old matched Alker’s 65 with one of his own to take him to 16-under, one off the lead.
Cink seeks his third win of the season, and with a win on Sunday the American would pip Alker to the Charles Schwab Cup regardless of how any other player finishes as he sits second in the Order of Merit standings.
Alker and Cink are set to play in the final group to decide the victor.
Defending champion Bernhard Langer, who sits T3 heading into the final round, birdied five of his last seven holes, including 16, 17 and 18, en route to six-under 65. It was the 22nd time that the German has shot his age or better on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.
With a win on Sunday, Langer, who is winless in 2025, would extend his record for consecutive years with a win on PGA TOUR Champions to 19. His current streak of 18 consecutive years is the record across all PGA TOUR-sanctioned Tours.
Langer is tied with Champions Tour rookie Tommy Gainey in T3.
Leaderboard.
