Spats out of order

MIND GAMES or exasperation? Who knows why South Africa’s Retief Goosen chose the Madrid Open to label his Irish rival for the Order of Merit, Padraig Harrington “the slowest player on the European Tour.”

Whatever, the insult blew up in his face the following day when Goosen was handed a slow-play warning during his opening round by a tournament official. Goosen stormed from the Club de Campo threatening to quit the European Tour after his bad time was confirmed at the recording tent. Acting with immense self-restraint, Harrington refused to be drawn into the conflict, and when asked about his rival's misfortune replied: "Do I care? No."

It wasn't the first, and it certainly won't be the last, falling out between two exponents of a sport renowned for its fair play, etiquette and and mild manners. Here, we look back at some of golf's more intriguing spats.