Could nine-year-old spat deny Harrington Ryder Cup chance?

It seems outrageous, but there is a strong belief a festering nine-year-old spat with the present European Ryder Cup captain could cost Pádraig Harrington one of Jose-Maria Olazabal’s two ‘wild card’ picks on the European team to face the Americans at Medinah on September 28-30.

Olazabal took many people by surprise last weekend when he suggested Harrington needed to do “something extraordinary” in the PGA Championship to merit consideration.

Harrington was clearly taken aback by the tone of the Spaniard’s remarks, while Colin Montgomerie, the successful European skipper two years ago, declared the two places rested between Harrington, Sergio Garcia and Nicolas Colsaerts.