Padraig Harrington has enjoyed a magnificent career during his time in the game.
However, Harrington may still break out in cold sweats when he casts his mind back to one tournament way back in 2000.
The 54-year-old has 43 professional wins to his name during his career to date, including three major championships.
He is one of the hardest working players in the game still to this very day, and his commitment to getting the very best out of his ability is something for which he deserves huge credit.
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Harrington finally got his rewards when he won The Open at Carnoustie in 2007.
He defended the caret jug one year later at Royal Birkdale and added a PGA Championship to his major trophy collection as well.
However, Harrington’s successful career on the regular tour did not pass without incident.
Padraig Harrington was disqualified after shooting a course record
Harrington was finely placed at the Benson and Hedges Championship in 2000 at The Belfry after three rounds.
The Irishman led by five strokes heading into the final round and looked all set to record his third win on the European Tour (now the DP World Tour).
Harrington posted rounds of 71 and 69 in his first two rounds and went into the weekend on four-under-par for the tournament.
On Saturday, he posted a sensational round of eight-under-par 64 – a course record at the time on the newly designed Belfry.
However, Harrington’s superb round of 64 ended up being the reason why he was disqualified.
The powers that be at The Belfry requested Harrington’s cards from his first three rounds, so that they could mount and frame them.
That’s when the three-time major champion’s fatal error from his first-round 71 came to light.
Incredibly, Harrington had failed to sign his card from day one at The Belfry and he was subsequently disqualified.
Jose Maria Olazabal went on to win the tournament, and he collected the $220,000 first prize in the process.
How Padraig Harrington reacted when told he was disqualified
Harrington was obviously heartbroken when he was informed of his error.
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However, he showed nothing but class after his disqualification was confirmed.
“We know that the responsibility for the card lies solely with yourself,“ he said.
“I’ve been doing it since I was 12 and this is the first time I’ve failed to sign.
“I rang all my family and it felt like, ‘God, I’m ringing round as if there’s been a death’. There hasn’t been a death; I just haven’t won the tournament.“
Padraig Harrington made it very clear that he had no animosity towards the rules officials after his hopes of winning his third European Tour tournament were snatched away from him.
The blame laid solely with the Irishman.
As Harrington himself admitted, signing for your score is something that you’re taught to do when you first start playing the game.
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