Harrington leads at US Senior Open despite clash with reporter

Pádraig Harrington holds a share of the lead at the US Senior Open at Broadmoor Golf Club - although he was involved in a post-round spat with former PGA Tour player and NBC golf analyst Roger Maltbie.

The Dubliner shot his second successive round of 67 to move to six-under par for the tournament, leaving him tied at the top with American Stewart Cink and Australia's Mark Hensby.

Cink's 66 was the best score so far at the tournament in Colorado Springs.

\"I've played pretty good golf but nothing spectacular,\" he said afterwards.

Harrington, who won this event in 2022, is getting steady overall results, but his luck on individual holes was a little more disparate. He balanced six birdies against three bogeys.

\"Most of Thursday and Friday is jockeying for position, keeping yourself in the tournament, trying not to lose the tournament, but after the start I had today, I could have got some daylight between myself and the field and got out there,\" said Harrington, who birdied three of his first four holes.

\"I just have to go and do it all again the next two days.\"

Alone in fourth place is Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who sits three strokes behind the leaders after shooting a one-under-par 69.

Darren Clarke has moved into a tie for seventh following a fine second-round 68 to sit on one-under par with fellow Ulster man Chris Devlin three strokes back on two-over – well inside the cut-line.

Post round, Harrington and Maltbie had a verbal disagreement in front of fans, and captured on social media, apparently over a lost ball.

Additional reporting: Reuters