Harrington gets into viral discussion with on course reporter Roger Maltbie over lost ball etiquette
Padraig Harrington speaks to Roger Maltbie
Padraig Harrington might be tied for the halfway lead in the US Senior Open in Colorado Springs but he wasn’t happy afterwards with NBC’s on-course reporter Roger Maltbie.
In a viral video posted on X by local reporter Brett Forrest, which has been watched over 1.3 million times, Harrington (53) takes issue with the former tour player Maltbie (73) for not helping look for a golf ball during the second round.
It’s not clear whose ball was lost, but World Golf Hall of Fame Member Harrington, who did lose a ball in the opening round, points out that it’s good etiquette to help look for a ball, even for a reporter.
“Never on a golf course stand and look at somebody looking for a golf ball," Harrington said, pointing out to Maltbie that “you’ve played golf all your life.”
Maltbie, who won five PGA Tour titles between 1976 and 1986, appears to take issue with Harrington’s point of view, pointing out that he’s “not a player” and was “trying to do my job”.
While reporters try not to become part of the story, it’s not unusual to see those inside the ropes make an effort to help in a ball search.
On-course commentators for TV also frequently go back and forth with the studio as replays try to ascertain where a ball might be or where it has crossed a penalty area.
Video from the US Senior Open shows Irish pro Padraig Harrington going at it with NBC on-course analyst Roger Maltbie.
— Brett Forrest (@brettforrestTV) June 27, 2025
Sounds like Harrington, who’s tied for first, wasn’t happy with where Maltbie stood. But Maltbie wasn’t having it either.
Maltbie is a pro golfer himself pic.twitter.com/uIavlRbUfw
Quite another issue is the question of on-course reporters becoming involved in rules incidents.
Shane Lowry was upset at last month’s PGA Championship when a course reporter correctly told a rules official that the Offaly man was not plugged in his own pitch mark en route to making a costly double bogey.
“It was just that the ESPN guy was a bit too in there involved when he wasn't asked to be and that's what annoyed me a lot,” Lowry said.
“I was just asking the referee and the ESPN guy comes straight over and he's like, ‘That’s not your pitch mark’. And I'm like, ‘That's not for you to talk about’. That's for me to call a rules official and decide what happens.”
Harrington shot a second successive 67 to share the lead with Stewart Cink and Australian Mark Hensby on six under par, one shot clear of Thomas Bjorn.
Darren Clarke shot a two-under 68 to share seventh on one under with Ballymena’s Chris Devlin, tied for 25th on two over after a 67.
Meanwhile, Leona Maguire and Jennifer Kupcho ended the day a shot clear of Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh and Australian Cassie Porter in the Dow Championship in Michigan.
They shot a 10-under 60 in betterball fourballs to head the field on 13 under.
