Harrington has to hurry at K Club

Padraig Harrington made a fast start to the Smurfit European Open today – and then found himself on the clock for slow play.

Playing in front of his home fans at the K Club near Dublin, Harrington birdied two of his first three holes.

But by the time he reached the 18th – his ninth – Harrington and playing partners Philip Golding and Thomas Bjorn had fallen a hole behind the group ahead and as a consequence were being timed by European Tour referee Niccolo Nesti.

Two bad times result in a one-stroke penalty, but Nesti’s presence made them aware of the problem.

Harrington bogeyed the second and third to slip back to level par, but Montgomerie had his third two of the day on the 170-yard third and moved only one behind McNulty and Andersson.

1995 Ryder Cup hero Philip Walton has as his caddie former Republic of Ireland striker Niall Quinn.

They began with seven pars and after bogeying the difficult 17th Walton, who lost his tour card a few years ago, birdied the second to return to level par.