Harrington demands recognition

Padraig Harrington made a plea to European Tour bosses tonight after an opening 67 in the 33rd and final Benson & Hedges …

Padraig Harrington made a plea to European Tour bosses tonight after an opening 67 in the 33rd and final Benson & Hedges International Open at The Belfry.

"I want my course record recognised," said the Ryder Cup ace, referring not to the round he had just played but a 64 in the third round three years ago.

Harrington, one behind tour new-boy David Dixon, feels an injustice was done after he was disqualified from the 2000 event when five strokes clear of the field.

The world number 10 has no complaints about being thrown out when it was discovered he had forgotten to sign his first-round scorecard, but saw no reason to expunge his brilliant Saturday performance.

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Barry Lane and Adam Scott are listed as the joint record-holders with 65s from last year, but Harrington said: "Course records are nice things to have and I can't understand why mine is not recognised. It was a competitive round."

Because of what happened that year, Harrington feels there is something of a sympathy vote in the crowd's warm response to him whenever he steps onto the first tee of the Brabazon lay-out.

The Ryder Cup win last September helps too, of course, and after bogeying the second he had the fans cheering when he sank a 91-yard pitch to the long third.

Even with four later birdies and not a single bogey, however, it was still not quite enough to dislodge 26-year-old rookie Dixon from top spot.