PADRAIG HARRINGTON was reported to have been somewhat miffed that the starter at the Bridgestone didn't announce him as the Open champion. Maybe the man had been talking to Sergio Garcia. Or some of the Sky Sports 2 team.

If he felt annoyed by the starter Padraig would be advised not to seek out tapes of Sky Sports 2's lamentable coverage of the Invitation.

Particularly on Thursday.

Mainly we had Tiger, then Tiger and Romero and then some visibly jingoistic coverage of the English boys who were eulogised to the high heavens by Critch and Clark who boasted ad nauseam how "the European challenge" was being spearheaded by the English chaps. By Friday they had gone mute on that motif.

On Thursday they spent a lot of time agonising about the cruel fate that Garcia had endured. Clark confessed to having studied that putt and was mystified as to how it stayed out. But their denial was nothing compared to Garcia's. Sergio refuses to accept he played anything other than a perfect final round . . . "I didn't do anything wrong" . . . and that every one of his putts were perfect.

True "the other guys played nicely" but somehow he lost it. No mention of Harrington.

By Friday he had imploded to a 77 and Harrington had a 69. Helped of course by a piece of 'Irish luck', on the 18th. Seems like Harrington needs luck to win. Butch Harmon and Ewen Murray did pay Harrington some compliments but they paled in comparison to the praise heaped on Romero. The Argentinian may turn out to be a genius but his game wasn't up to the series of commentator kiboshes. No doubt they too would deny this.

Denial is the only game in town.