Mam backs up wayward Paddy

Wentworth Digest: A mother's love knows no bounds, and all that malarkey. Breda Harrington was minding her own business, walking outside the ropes to the right of the 13th fairway yesterday, when she was hit on the back by a golf ball . . . it just so happened the errant missile was propelled by her son Padraig.

Thankfully unhurt, as testified by the speed with which she departed the scene, Breda then watched as her son used his hybrid club - akin to a three-iron - to hit his approach shot to six inches for a tap-in birdie on the way to a level-par 72.

That 13th hole was one of only three fairways Harrington missed in a round that saw him take 32 putts, including a three-putt par on the closing hole.

"It broke six inches on a putt I thought would go the other way. If I was on the side of a hill, I could understand it. It is one thing putting on poa annua greens when you have an idea which way it is going to break, but it is tougher when you just don't know," said Harrington, adding; "It eats into you a bit, confidence-wise."

On the 17th, after his drive hit a tree and ricocheted into a bush, Harrington had considered returning to the tee but instead ventured into the foliage. "I actually did not think I'd be hitting the ball (out). But when I got in there, it was better than it looked from the outside.

There was more room for me to stand up, and I could get up to 75 per cent of my height. I'd thought I would be hunched over."

His endeavours couldn't stop him escaping with a bogey, however.

Cabrera has his priorities right

Argentina may be one of the favourites for the World Cup, but Angel Cabrera has only a passing interest in how his country will perform in the finals in Germany.

Asked if he would be interested in attending the final should Argentina make it, on a day which happens to coincide with the finish of the European Open at the K Club, Cabrera shook his head. "Golf is more important than football for me," he said.

Wells skates into contention

John Wells proved he could play golf on snow when he won the World Ice Golf Championship in 2004.

Yesterday, the Englishman showed he's pretty good on grass, too. Playing in his first BMW Championship, Wells, an assistant professional at Beverley and East Riding who qualified for the tournament off the PGA Northern Region (England) order of merit, shot a 69.

Hoey's patience goes unrewarded

Michael Hoey wasn't rewarded for showing more patience than anyone at Wentworth yesterday.

The 27-year-old Ulsterman was first reserve for the championship, and duly arrived at the course at 6am in case any player was forced to withdraw.

Unfortunately for Hoey, it proved to be a fruitless wait as he spent his time between the locker-room and the range, until confirmation shortly after 4pm that nobody had withdrawn.

"I'm not too disappointed, I've got a run of tournaments coming up," said a philosophical Hoey, who is guaranteed his place in the field for next week's Wales Open at Celtic Manor and defends his BA-CA Open title in Austria the following week.