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Padraig Harrington and NBC's Roger Maltbie Have Heated Exchange at U.S. Senior Open

Video shows the two arguing after Padraig Harrington chastised the NBC on-course analyst for not helping look for a lost ball. 

Max Schreiber

Padraig Harrington co-leads the U.S. Senior Open, but wasn't happy with NBC's Roger Maltbie.
Padraig Harrington co-leads the U.S. Senior Open, but wasn't happy with NBC's Roger Maltbie. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Tensions are brewing at the U.S. Senior Open. 

After the second round, Padraig Harrington chastised NBC on-course analyst Roger Maltbie for not helping look for a lost ball. 

“Never on a golf course stand and look at somebody looking for a golf ball,” Harrington said. 

“That’s a hard position to take there,” Maltbie responded.

The two continued to exchange words, and Harrington told Maltbie, “You’ve played golf all your life. You understand.”

Maltbie, however, said he’s “not a player” in this instance and therefore didn’t need to help search for the ball. 

Eventually, Maltbie walked away, leaving the situation at an impasse. 

Maltbie, 73, played on the PGA Tour for over 20 years, winning five times before switching to broadcasting in 1991. He’s best known for his “it’s just not a fair fight” call during Tiger Woods’s 2000 U.S. Open victory. 

Meanwhile, Harrington, 53, is tied for the U.S. Senior Open lead with Stewart Cink and Mark Hensby. 

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Max Schreiber
MAX SCHREIBER

Max Schreiber is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, covering golf. Before joining SI in October 2024, the Mahwah, N.J., native, worked as an associate editor for the Golf Channel and wrote for RyderCup.com and FanSided. He is a multiplatform producer for Newsday and has a bachelor's in communications and journalism from Quinnipiac University. In his free time, you can find him doing anything regarding the Yankees, Giants, Knicks and Islanders.

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