Pádraig Harrington clashes with on-course reporter but still shares US Open lead
Pádraig Harrington holds a share of the lead at the US Senior Open at Broadmoor Golf Club - although he was involved in a post-round spat with former PGA Tour player and NBC golf analyst Roger Maltbie.
The Dubliner shot his second successive round of 67 to move to six-under par for the tournament, leaving him tied at the top with American Stewart Cink and Australia's Mark Hensby.
Cink's 66 was the best score so far at the tournament in Colorado Springs.
"I've played pretty good golf but nothing spectacular," he said afterwards.
Harrington, who won this event in 2022, is getting steady overall results, but his luck on individual holes was a little more disparate. He balanced six birdies against three bogeys.
"Most of Thursday and Friday is jockeying for position, keeping yourself in the tournament, trying not to lose the tournament, but after the start I had today, I could have got some daylight between myself and the field and got out there," said Harrington, who birdied three of his first four holes.
"I just have to go and do it all again the next two days."
Alone in fourth place is Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who sits three strokes behind the leaders after shooting a one-under-par 69.
Darren Clarke has moved into a tie for seventh following a fine second-round 68 to sit on one-under par with fellow Ulster man Chris Devlin three strokes back on two-over – well inside the cut-line.
Post round, Harrington and Maltbie had a verbal disagreement in front of fans, and captured on social media, apparently over a lost ball.
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PADRAIG HARRINGTON was caught in a furious argument with a TV reporter over golf etiquette. The heated row occurred midway through the US Senior Open on Friday at the Broadmoor Golf Club. 3 Padraig Harrington had a heated argument with Roger Maltbie Credit: X @brettforrestTV 3 The Irishman was irritated as he looked for a lost ball Credit: X @brettforrestTV Harrington, 53, was left fuming as NBC analyst Roger Maltbie after he lost his golf ball. The Ryder Cup legend appeared to be disgruntled with the former PGA star for not helping him search for it. A video caught the heated moment in which Harrington hit out at Maltbie's course etiquette. He said: "Never on a golf course stand and look at somebody looking for a golf ball." READ MORE IN SPORT Maltbie responded: That's a hard position to take there." They then stepped closer to each other as the argument as tensions continued to boil over. Harrington added: "You've played gold all your life. You understand." But Maltbie did not step down as he replied: "I'm not a player." Most read in Golf JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS The Eventually, the arguing pair walked off from each other as Harrington was asked for an autograph. I played golf with Tiger Woods but he was a ghost behind the scenes - his romance with Vanessa Trump surprised me Fans had their own opinions on the row as they took to social media. One posted: "Just when you thought golf couldn't get any less interesting." A second wrote: "If the player can see him, he's in the wrong place." A third commented: "That is a weird flex for Maltbie." A fourth said: "The relationship between golf and old media is dying in front of our eyes." 3 Harrington still finished the day tied for the lead Credit: Getty A fifth joked: "Seeing mom and dad fight like this is insanely depressing." Another added: "What is going on?" He reached six under par and was tied for the lead alongside Stewart Cink. Maltbie switched from pro golf to broadcasting back in 1991, having spent 20 years on the course. He won five tournaments during his time on the PGA Tour.
