Padraig Harrington, a three-time major champion, found himself in a heated exchange with NBC’s Roger Maltbie following his opening round at the US Senior Open.
After carding an impressive 3-under 67 to tie for the lead with Mark Hensby, the 53-year-old Irishman confronted Maltbie over an incident during play at The Broadmoor. Harrington was unhappy that Maltbie, serving as an on-course commentator, didn’t assist in the search for a lost ball during his round alongside Stewart Cink and Justin Leonard.
Caught on camera, Harrington expressed his frustration:
“Never just stand there while someone is looking for a golf ball,” he said. “You’ve played golf all your life — you know better than that.”
Maltbie, 73, responded calmly, reminding Harrington: “I’m not a player.”
To which Harrington fired back: “You’ve told me before you’ve helped look for hundreds of golf balls.”
Harrington’s caddie, Ronan Flood, stepped in to try and calm tensions, but the disagreement had already turned quite public.
Who is Roger Maltbie?
Roger Maltbie enjoyed a lengthy career on the PGA Tour, winning five tournaments between 1975 and 1985. His best major result came with a fourth-place finish at the 1987 Masters.
He joined NBC Sports in 1991 and was a staple in golf broadcasting for decades. Though his contract wasn’t renewed in 2022, Maltbie has occasionally returned for select events.
Leave a Reply