Harrington moves giant tree branch to play shot at Irish Open

FILE PHOTO: Golf - European Tour - Alfred Dunhill Links Championship - St Andrews, Britain - September 28, 2019 Ireland's Padraig Harrington during third round Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith

(Reuters) - Golfers can remove loose impediments without penalty under the rules of the game and while they usually take the form of twigs and stones, Padraig Harrington found himself heaving a huge tree branch out of the way to get to his ball at the Irish Open.

The three-times major winner found trouble with an errant shot at the 10th in Thursday's first round, with an on-course marshal locating his ball in some thick brush among the trees.