Padraig Harrington recently competed at the 2023 Senior PGA Championship and used the rangefinder that helped him in the game.
He has now vocally endorsed the use of measuring devices in all tournaments. The Irish golfer tweeted:
"After using a range finder for the last 2 weeks @PGAChampionship and @seniorpgachamp, I’ve come round to believing that we should use them in all tournaments. They really help with pace of play when players are out of position with an awkward yardage. @DPWorldTour @PGATOUR"
Thomas Bjorn has spoken out in support of Harrington. He also claimed that rangefinders may assist them throughout the game and prevent them from spending too much time on the golf field.
He wrote in favor of Padraig Harrington in a post, saying:
"I agree with this. I was sceptical but it works…"
Distance measuring devices are allowed at the PGA Championship. The rule 4.3a (1) says:
- Allowed: Getting information on distance or direction (such as from a distance-measuring device or compass).
- Not Allowed: Measuring elevation changes, or Interpreting distance or directional information (such as using a device to get a recommended line of play or club selection based on the location of the player's ball).
The slow play made headlines during the Masters last month when Patrick Cantlay was chastised for taking his time on the course. The devices can assist players in readily finding the ball and can be used to stop the slow-play game.
Padraig Harrington's toilet break cost him the Senior PGA Championship title
Padraig Harrington was in command at the 2023 Senior PGA Championship throughout the tournament but a toilet break in the third round cost him the title.
On Thursday, Harrington fired a 64 and topped the leaderboard. He maintained the lead until the third round when the win slipped from his hand and he ended up in second place.
During the third round at the 2023 Senior PGA Championship, Padraig Harrington went to the toilet on the 16th hole and could not focus on his game thereafter and failed to win the title.
Speaking about his longest toilet break, Harrington told the media:
“16 came out of nowhere. Essentially, I went in the toilet. The door was locked. It took me a minute to realize there wasn’t somebody in there, another while to get the door open. As we are on the Champions Tour, I had the longest pee ever. And then I rushed down the fairway and hit my shot.”
He went on to explain:
“The second shot was kind of innocuous because the pin was so tight I was just playing 15 feet left of it. I just wasn’t focused, I wasn’t into it, and I hit a bad shot in the hazard. So when you get over 50, it sometimes takes a long time to have a pee. And that’s my excuse. That’s got to be original, I would assume.”
It is important to note that Steve Stricker won the Senior Major Championship on Sunday, May 28.