 Padraig Harrington of Ireland. AP photo |
Padraig Harrington was on Friday disqualified from the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship for signing a wrong card in his seven under par first round of 65.
Harrington's tournament came to a premature end after a television viewer alerted European Tour officials to a possible rules infringement by the Irishman on the seventh green.
While marking his ball on the green during Thursday's opening round Harrington's fingers inadvertently brushed the ball, which moved by an almost indiscernible distance, but enough to show up on the high-definition telecast.
After reviewing the tapes along with Harrington, the world No. 26 accepted the punishment.
Harrington, who took the bitter pill with remarkable calmness, said: "I clearly remember on the seventh green yesterday (Thursday) when I was picking the coin up, I touched the ball.
"At that moment I established that the ball hadn't moved.
"I was well aware that I touched it, so I checked that the Titleist logo with which I align my ball was still in the same position pointing toward the target. I was quite comfortable that the ball had not moved.
"This morning I came in and watched it on the TV. I think with an unbiased view of it, I would comfortably say 99 per cent, the ball moved three dimples forward and moved back a dimple, a dimple and a half.
"It looks like it's moved, so I'm happy it has. I think it's fair enough that the penalty is there on the face of it.”
Harrington's tournament came to a premature end after a television viewer alerted European Tour officials to a possible rules infringement by the Irishman on the seventh green.
While marking his ball on the green during Thursday's opening round Harrington's fingers inadvertently brushed the ball, which moved by an almost indiscernible distance, but enough to show up on the high-definition telecast.
After reviewing the tapes along with Harrington, the world No. 26 accepted the punishment.
Harrington, who took the bitter pill with remarkable calmness, said: "I clearly remember on the seventh green yesterday (Thursday) when I was picking the coin up, I touched the ball.
"At that moment I established that the ball hadn't moved.
"I was well aware that I touched it, so I checked that the Titleist logo with which I align my ball was still in the same position pointing toward the target. I was quite comfortable that the ball had not moved.
"This morning I came in and watched it on the TV. I think with an unbiased view of it, I would comfortably say 99 per cent, the ball moved three dimples forward and moved back a dimple, a dimple and a half.
"It looks like it's moved, so I'm happy it has. I think it's fair enough that the penalty is there on the face of it.”
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