Padraig Harrington found himself yet again at the center of a rules incident and this time during the second round of the BMW PGA Championship.
The triple Major winner was on the fourth green of the West Course and all set to mark his golf ball with a coin he’s always used.
However in attempting to mark his ball the Irishman dropped his coin marker and with the coin bouncing off his golf ball and then presenting the uncertainty as to whether or not his ball may have moved.
“I mark my ball always with the tails up on the coin and as I was, I am not 100 per cent sure, but was I was getting the coin into my fingers, but then dropped it,” he said.
Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL) during round 2 of the BMW PGA championship, Wentworth Golf Club, Virginia Waters, London.
Picture: Fran Caffrey www.golffile.ie
“Nobody, apart from a spectator who was 50 yards away, was adamant the ball didn’t move, never moved. One of the caddies in our group was 20 yards away and said he saw it move but then myself and Ronan (Flood – caddy) felt the ball had come back into the spot.”
A rules official concurred with Harrington that there was no penalty and also no need to view video footage of the incident.
Harrington later signed off for a 76 to slump to one over par and just a shot inside the cut-off mark.
The Irishman has been been in the past involved in rules issues including being disqualified from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship when video footage revealed he had inadvertently bumped his ball forward in returning his marker to the green.
There was also the incident some years back at The Belfry when he was disqualified after shooting a new course record but in checking the scorecard it became apparent Harrington had not signed his score card.
Bizarrely, the incident brought back memories for Darren Clarke who was playing alongside his fellow Open Champion.
Some years back at Wentworth Clarke’s coin fell from his hand as he was attempting to mark the ball but with the coin actually moving the ball and with Clarke forced to take a one stroke penalty.
