Harrington rates Richie Ramsay top for funniest temper tantrum

Professional golfers don't like to see their fellow pros lose it on the golf course but Pádraig Harrington ranks Richie Ramsay's 2007 Open blow up at Carnoustie as one of the funniest ever.

The Scot was playing with eventual champion Harrington and former US PGA winner David Toms in the first two rounds in what was his first Open Championship.

Speaking to on RTE's John Murray Show to promote Lollipop Day which raises funds to help in the battle against oesophageal cancer, Harrington explained: "Some guys get upset with guys who lose their temper and start throwing clubs. I actually find that quite funny.

"When I won [The Open] at Carnoustie, I holed a putt in the first round and one of my playing partners [he didn't name Ramsay by name] missed from a similar place and he came over and he started abusing his golf bag, hitting it with the golf club, kicking it and our third playing partner David Toms went over and said something to him about it. He was so upset about him kicking the bag.

"And the player said, 'What's it got to do with you?' And Toms said, 'Well, it's my golf bag.' He'd picked the wrong bag because it was the same make."

Harrington's father Paddy died from oesophageal cancer in 2005 and good etiquette on the golf course was the only thing he impressed on the he future major winner.

"That was the only thing required from my dad. He was around the golf quite a lot when he retired and it was never a question of me being successful playing the game. I didn't need to win or shoot good scores to impress him. He had his own career in sport and wasn't living his own life through me. 

"The one thing that was always [impressed upon me] was the etiquette of the game. I couldn't throw golf clubs, I had to fix my divots and my pitch marks, I couldn't use bad language, that sort of stuff."

Harrington was also asked about Juan Mata's £150,000 contract with Manchester United and the huge sums involved in professional sport.

As the Irish Independent reported:

“I thinks all sportspeople would play their sport for a lot less, he said on Radio One this morning.

“Ultimately we are overpaid, grossly overpaid. I’d certainly play for free."

“I love the game. If somebody offered me a contract at the start of my career where they just paid my expenses during the year I would have signed that.”

With the news that Manchester United are set to offer Juan Mata £150,000 a week contract to entice the Spaniard to move to Old Trafford, Harrington has said that while the sums involved are astronomical, it is often forgotten that sport is a business at the end of the day.

“The football marketing makes the money and the players and clubs are under pressure for results,” he added.

“Man United is a business. They need to bring in the best players to win titles to ensure that that brand remains one of the biggest in the world.

“Clubs are under pressure to have the best teams and to ensure their brand remains.

The Dubliner also offered advice to all golfers to improve their game, with one tip he said that should be implemented by golfers of alll abilities.

“Hold your finish after you hit your shot,” he advised.

“If you follow through with your shot, being able to hold your balance on your left foot after you hit the ball will improve your game hugely.”

“Most people agree with this when I tell them, but find it so difficult to implement.”

Harrington was speaking about Lollipop Day which is taking place on February 1st and March 28th and concerns oesophageal cancer, which affected his late father.

“It’s all about raising awareness of the symptoms, which include chronic problems swallowing and heartburn.”

“It’s a bad disease to get late on but a good one to catch early,” he added.