Padraig Harrington, the 51-year-old Irishman, opened the 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship with a bang.

The Dubliner fired an 8-under par 64, the bottom 18-hole rating he has recorded all season on the Champions Tour.

“I’ve fairly just a few course information, however this one can be a pleasant one to personal by the top of the week, hopefully,” Harrington stated to NBC’s Jimmy Roberts following his spherical. “Not that I have to go decrease once more, however hopefully, no one passes me by.”

Regardless of having a report spherical, it didn’t get off to an important begin. He bogeyed the difficult par-4 tenth gap to start the championship.

Harrington started to show issues round on the par-5 14th, his fifth gap of the day, the place he made his first of 4 birdies.

His opening spherical took off on the 18th gap, the place he made an eagle three on the 544-yard par-5.

After making the flip, Harrington made one other eagle on the first gap, chipping in from 25 ft—the opening gap at Fields Ranch East measures 569 yards, which means the primary and ultimate holes are scorable par-5s.

Picture by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Photographs

“It was a stability of issues going properly, however I holed just a few putts, as you at all times do in the event you shoot a low quantity,” Harrington added. “I feel I’ve been placing rather well however not likely holing something. I holed a 35-footer on the 2nd, and a few 15-footers, however to shoot a low one, you genuinely want just a few balls to drop.”

Harrington will head into the second spherical with a two-shot lead over Katsumasa Miyamoto of Japan, who opened with a 6-under par 66.

With that stated, who is aware of what this weekend will herald Texas, as these gamers are seeing PGA Frisco’s Area Ranch East course for the primary time.

This course, newly designed by famend golf course architect Gil Hanse, will host 12 championships within the coming years, together with the 2027 and 2034 PGA Championships.

The 2027 PGA Championship will mark the primary time a serious is held in Texas in over 50 years.

However the focus stays on the 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, the place an Irishman is off to a sizzling begin within the Texas warmth.