Bizarre files: Harrington realises mid-round he's wearing someone else's right shoe

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON, wearing white shoes, SPEAKS TO REPORTERS AT ROYAL LIVERPOOL ON 14 JULY 2014. PICTURE © BRIAN KEOGH

Pádraig Harrington has been accused of being as odd as two left feet but he's never boring, even when he's sitting deep in the pack wearing another man's shoe. Hat tip to Associated Press golf writer Doug Ferguson, who gleaned this nugget of information from the Dubliner after Friday's second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON CHANGES HIS SHOES IN THE LOCKER ROOM AT HAZELTINE AFTER THE 2009 US PGA

According to Ferguson's regular notes column:

"Padraig Harrington realised during the round he was wearing someone else's right shoe....

"He shot a 70 in white, classic-style Foot-Joys. They looked the same. The fit the same. But only when he went to clean off the sole and noticed a different set of spikes did Harrington realise the right shoe was different from the left."

Of course, it's now nearly nine years since Harrington was informed by European Tour referee John Paramor that he could take one of his shoes off for putting if he so wished.

The Ryder Cup star has been practising like that so that he gets more weight on his left side, but after an opening 64 in the American Express world championship at The Grove near Watford said he did not think it was within the rules to do it in competition.

'You wouldn't be able to do that for your advantage, no,' said Harrington, who trails Tiger Woods by one shot.

'Both shoes have to be exactly the same, so you couldn't build a shoe on one side to give you an advantage. You could do it if you had a blister because you wouldn't be doing it to get your weight near that side.

'I couldn't put something under my right foot in order to get my weight on my left side. That would be the same sort of thing, wouldn't it?'

However, European Tour chief referee John Paramor said: 'As long as he does not delay play by taking his shoe off, and as long as he does not stand on it, he is free to putt with one shoe off."

They say you should never judge a man unless you have walked a mile in his shoes. In this case, Harrington has all the angles covered.