THE MODERATOR: Padraig Harrington, 2-under 68. Padraig, we have to talk about the shot on 18. Let's start there.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It's always great to chip in. It was great to chip in on the last hole. It was straightforward on the green, but I was chipping against the grain. There was quite a bit of grain on that slope. So getting good contact was never going to be easy.
Yeah, I was very happy with the chip, and it was a big bonus that it went in.
Q. A great battle between all three of you in the group today. What was the momentum and the feel out there?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: There was great momentum in the group. It was a very pleasant group, I've got to say. It's very early, but we seemed to be happy for each other making birdies and getting going and moving forward, which is kind of important in the group. The last thing you want to do on a Saturday is get cut open, shoot level par, and all of a sudden the field comes back into it.
Obviously we would have all liked if we got a little bit more under, but it did get tricky there with that wind start swirling around, and I certainly lost a bit of trust on the green. It was tough coming home, so it was a nice bonus for me. It's nice to be, as I said to the three lads, we could have taken the day out and just gone out as the three leaders tomorrow.
Q. Obviously you're coming into that last hole down one at that point. Was there any sort of you wanted to go for it?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I did want to be in the last group, yes, which the only way I could be in the last group was making that birdie. Just because you want something doesn't mean you can -- if it was as easy as that, we'd be all great.
I was well aware 19 holes to go, so I didn't have to birdie the 18th. While it does get me into the last group and I'm happy about that, realistically, if I was 7-under and played well tomorrow, I'd have a better chance than being 8-under and playing average tomorrow. So you can make up that shot no problem with a bit of momentum if you're playing well. It's nice, but it's not that important.
Q. In your experience, does momentum after a shot like that do anything for you the night before a championship? Do you sleep better?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I don't know if there's anything overnight, but it certainly would be something if it's during a round. It would be a big bonus to get a chip-in, especially on these greens out there. Any time you can get one where you hole a putt or something like that, that momentum is very important and will be important tomorrow.
I think we'll all be going out there with -- you go out there with the concept of stick in there and hopefully you'll get a few holes where it turns in your favor. Maybe if that happens twice during the day, you know you've got a great chance of winning.
Q. When you hit that shot on 18 and the crowd just erupted like that, what was that moment like to see everyone's reaction?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: The whole of this event, they run a really good event, the USGA. They run a really good Senior major, and the crowds that have turned out are just excellent. The fields, there's a buzz out there, there's a great atmosphere.
It was special to hole out on the 18th, as I said, with everybody watching, the anticipation. It was very exciting and very nice that I didn't have to hit another shot. (Laughter).
Q. As a competitor, how much do you enjoy being in this three-way tie heading into the final round?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: That's why we do it. That's why we play the game at this age of our life. We still like the idea of competing and hitting great shots. In some ways, when you're playing out here on the Seniors, you're reliving your past glories, and you hit some great shots that you once hit as a junior, and it feels good. We do hit a few of the other ones too. But the whole thing of playing out here is for that thrill again.
Q. I was wondering if you can remember the last time or how often at a major or a PGA TOUR event that you've been paired with the same person four straight days.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I don't think it's ever happened. I'm not sure if it's ever happened. If there was ever going to be somebody I would be paired with, it is Stewart Cink, that's for sure.
Yeah, I don't think I've done that four days in a row. We've been pretty close all the way, and with Mark there, Mark added a lot to the group today, the three of us. There seemed to be great momentum in the group at all times. As I said, it was a very relaxed, happy group.
Obviously it's a Saturday. Things might be a little tighter tomorrow afternoon, but certainly today was a very pleasant day.
Q. Anything effect from the greens?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I'm still playing for the ball to spin back, and it wasn't spinning back as much today. Twice I hopped over greens. My double bogey on 12 was I hit the green and took a big bounce, like well over the green. Yeah, there was a bit more of a skip in the greens for sure.
We'll adjust tomorrow and see how that works out.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports