Patient Padraig Harrington made a spectacular eagle three at the 18th to stay on course for a ¤516,000 pay-day in Smurfit European Open at the K Club.

The 30 year old Dubliner hit a seven iron to just five feet at the last to card a three under par 69 as defending champion Darren Clarke crashed to a 76.

One under for his round playing the last, Harrington had 203 yards to the hole but played a magnificent downwind shot that rolled up to within two paces of the hole.

The eagle was a just reward for his patience on day that promised much but failed to deliver until the very end.

One behind leader Michael Campbell playing the 16th, Harrington missed a three-footer for birdie and then three putted from long range for a bogey at the 17th before saving the day with that closing eagle.

But while Harrington kept chugging along despite an indifferent day on the greens, Clarke was derailed by six bogeys in a row on the front nine on his way to a four over par 76.

The key to Harrington round came on the 415 yard 11th where he missed the fairway by 30 yards, laid up some 70 yards short of the green and then saved par with a crisp wedge that sucked back to just 18 inches from the cup.

He then rolled in a 12 footer for birdie at the 173 yard 12th to join Michael Campbell in the lead on five under par.

While Campbell birdied the 10th to regain the lead, Harrington missed a great chance to join him when he carried the river at the par five 16th in two but failed to get up and down from the apron for his birdie.

Delgany's Eamonn Darcy has played on the European Tour for 31 years. But the 49-year-old was tight-lipped as he stalked out of the recorder's hut after a 73 yesterday in what is his last official event on the tour.

Three over par starting the day, Darcy was one under for his round coming to the knee-trembling 16th.

The fairway hugs the river bank in a gentle curve to the left but Darcy's tee shot failed to carry by a yard and he finished with three putts for a triple bogey seven after playing a second ball.

To compound his frustration, his four iron approach to the par five 18th came within a whisker of dropping in for an albatross two and finished eight feet away. Needless to say he missed the eagle putt.

Gary Murphy did mange to eagle the 18th for a 74 that included one birdie, two bogeys and a triple at the seventh caused by two visits to the water.

He finished the day on three over par but was left to rue a bad day on the greens at this level, taking a total of 35 putts with the blade.

But the biggest casualty of the day was Clarke, despite a triple birdie finish that camouflaged a disappointing 76.

The Ulster star missed too many fairways and imploded early on with a run of six bogeys in a row from the second to the seventh for a front nine of 41.

He played the back nine in two under thanks to that birdie-birdie-birdie finish, but the damage had already been done on the way out where he hit just two fairways from seven attempts and missed seven of the nine greens in regulation.

Ashbourne's John Dwyer started the day on level par but could manage just one birdie at the par three eighth in a five over par 77.

Dwyer bogeyed six of the first six holes and then compounded errors at the 15th and 17th by failing to make amends by picking up birdies at either the 16th or 18th, both of which are par fives.

Colin Montgomerie moved into contention for his 27th European Tour win with a four under par 68 that contained five birdies and just one dropped shot.

Said Montgomerie: "I'm right back in it. I've won from further back than this, I almost holed from 32 yards for an eagle at the last. My goal was to get into contention on Saturday night and I've done that."

Ryder Cup man Niclas Fasth had five bogeys in his round but still shot a 68 thanks to six birdies and an eagle to finish on two under.

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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