Golf legends Padraig Harrington and Roger Maltbie involved in spat at US Senior Open

Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington was involved in a viral bust-up with former pro-turned NBC reporter Roger Maltbie at the US Senior Open.

A video, which flooded social media, showed Harrington arguing with on-course reporter Maltbie for not helping him look for a lost ball during his opening round at Broadmoor Golf Club.

The beef began on the 15th hole of Thursday's opening round, when Harrington sent a wayward tee shot into a thicket of trees.

Around a dozen people tried and failed to find the ball, forcing Harrington back to the tee box for his third shot. 

All the while, Maltbie - who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and 1980s - opted not to join in the hunt.

The following day, Harrington called out the American for 'poor etiquette', telling him: 'Never on a golf course stand and look at somebody looking for a golf ball.'

The Irishman continued: 'You've played golf all your life. You understand.'

But longtime reporter Maltbie defended his decision, claiming his focus has to be on his job rather than helping Harrington. 

'So I should have disobeyed my producer?,' he asked the Irishman. Maltbie told Golf.com that he was asked to be prepared to report on Harrington's plight.

'I can’t do it from inside the thick of the trees,' the reporter told Golf.com. 'So I stayed outside, and then [Harrington] walked near me and he said: "You could help search for the ball," and I just didn’t respond.'

He continued: 'I was very close to saying: "All these years, all these checks I've gotten from NBC, your name isn't on any of them."'