Blunder could prove costly for Harrington

Padraig Harrington shot himself in the foot in Spain today with another rules mistake that might well end up costing him the European Order of Merit title.

A three-over-par opening round of 74 in the Volvo Masters at Valderrama came after the Ryder Cup Irishman was penalised two strokes on the opening hole.

Two years after being disqualified from the Benson and Hedges International at The Belfry for failing to sign a scorecard – he led by five at the time – it was the simple act of repairing a pitch mark which left Harrington with a look of horror on his face again.

His error was that the mark was on the fringe of the green and not on the putting surface itself.

“It looked like it was on the green because of the shade,” he said afterwards. “But as I dug it up there seemed to be a little bit more grass than you expect and a bell went off in my head.

“I thought ’oops’. You’ve got to expect strange things to happen at times, but it was obviously not the start you want. It was two shots given away for no reason at all.”

His Order of Merit hopes are still alive because Retief Goosen, whom he trails by just €20,000, managed only a 73 himself.

But Harrington has to finish at worst 36th on Sunday to have any chance – and he is currently joint 42nd.

It certainly looks as though he can dismiss any idea of becoming Europe’s new number one in the grandest possible fashion by making a successful defence of the tournament he won in Jerez last year.

Argentina’s Angel Cabrera is already 11 clear of him – and four ahead of his nearest challenger Phillip Price after a sparkling eight-under-par 63 that was only one shot outside the course record set by Bernhard Langer in 1994.