After DQ, Harrington gives ball-marking clinic

Padraig Harrington of Ireland (R) offers advice to (L-R) Simon Cooper, the CEO of HSBC Middle East and North Africa, HSBC sporting ambassadors Chris Cairns, Jonathan Davies and Gavin Hastings at a golf skills clinic during the third round of The Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Padraig Harrington has made light of his disqualification from the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship by showing a group of children at a golf clinic how to correctly mark the ball.

The Irishman, a three-time major winner, was disqualified Friday for signing an incorrect scorecard. He had failed to replace his ball after it had moved a fraction of an inch when he picked up his marker at the seventh green in Thursday’s opening round.

After seeing video replays, Harrington acknowledged his ball had moved slightly as he picked up the coin and accepted his disqualification.

He joked in a statement Saturday that the kids “seemed to think marking your ball is all very easy, but obviously it isn’t.”