OneBuckeye
Posts: 5,888
Jan 21, 2011 1:01pm
http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=6044348
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington was disqualified before the second round of the Abu Dhabi Championship after the Irishman was judged to have illegally moved his ball during Thursday's first round.
European Tour senior referee Andy McFee said Friday that a viewer e-mailed to say Harrington replaced his ball on the green and, as he took the coin away, his hand moved the ball. Since the ball was not replaced, Harrington incurred a two-stroke penalty not reflected on his scorecard.
"The problem is that Padraig's card for the seventh shows a three, and the fact that Padraig was totally unaware that this ball has moved doesn't unfortunately help him," McFee said. "The disqualification is for signing for the wrong score, lower than actually taken."
He finished with a 7-under 65 and was one shot behind leader Charl Schwartzel.
"You know what? A lot worse things could happen. You could be five ahead going into the last round," Harrington said jokingly. "It's an awkward situation. Every time something like this happens, you want to try and gain something from it, learn something from it."
In May 2000 at the Benson and Hedges International, Harrington led by five shots after three rounds but had failed to sign his first-round card and was disqualified on Sunday morning.
Harrington acknowledged that he touched the ball but felt it hadn't moved.
"I'm well aware of the ruling on that situation, and it's happened many times over the years," he said. "You know, I'm quite comfortable, if you touch a ball and it doesn't move and you feel it hasn't moved, it hasn't moved, and you don't need to -- there is no replacing.
"If you called the referee at that moment in time," he added, "in all good conscience, I couldn't have put the ball anywhere else but where it was."
Harrington's disqualification is only the most recent to be initiated by a viewer.
Earlier this month, Camilo Villegas was disqualified for a rules violation that a television viewer called in after the opening round of a PGA Tour event in Hawaii.
Villegas was chipping up the slope to the 15th green when the ball twice rolled back toward him. The second time, Villegas walked over and casually swatted away some loose pieces of grass in front of the divot as the ball was still moving down the slope.
That is a violation of Rule 23-1 that says, "When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed." The penalty is two shots. Villegas opened with a 72, and he also was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.
"The rules are good, we abide very well, the players love the fact that we apply them," Harrington said. "We love the standard that we play by. When we have to stick to that, that's the best thing about our game."
Harrington did acknowledge that the European Tour might consider modifying the penalty so a player was not disqualified after he "has signed his card and something has come forward that the player could not have been aware about."
"I'm comfortable with the whole idea that there's people there watching, and I believe when I'm on the golf course I'm not going to do anything untoward," Harrington said. "I hope that this many people watch The European Tour. I hope there's 100 million people watching me play and checking me out. It's good for the game."
karen lotz
Posts: 22,284
Jan 21, 2011 1:18pm
I absolutely hate that the PGA allows this.
ohiotiger33
Posts: 1,500
Jan 21, 2011 1:23pm
^^ Agreed, it is a self governed game. Or it is supposed to be.
Skyhook79
Posts: 5,739
Jan 21, 2011 1:25pm
If only viewers could call/e-mail in with missed infractions in the NFL.
karen lotz
Posts: 22,284
Jan 21, 2011 1:28pm
Skyhook79;646919 wrote:If only viewers could call/e-mail in with missed infractions in the NFL.
Yeah, could you imagine the NFL allowing viewers to call in with a missed holding call? Or MLB allowing missed balls/strikes to be called in or NBA allowing missed traveling calls emailed? Its beyond stupid. Each group has a walking rules official with it.
OneBuckeye
Posts: 5,888
Jan 21, 2011 1:29pm
Skyhook79;646919 wrote:If only viewers could call/e-mail in with missed infractions in the NFL.
That would be awesome.
I agree I don't like this after the fact crap. Every shot and move of every tourny is NOT on camera, so you can't judge like this. However, I think they should get some penalty but I don't know what would make sense.
karen lotz
Posts: 22,284
Jan 21, 2011 1:33pm
If some random guy does the same thing Harrington did but it wasn't on TV so it wasn't found out by some douche bag sitting on a couch, there is no disqualification. Beyond stupid.
.jpg)
september63
Posts: 5,789
Jan 21, 2011 2:09pm
Shame on the PGA for this shit. I hated it the first time and even more now! Do you honestly think if a viewer caught an infraction on Tiger Woods at Augusta the tour would do this to him. Its hypocrisy.
wildcats20
Posts: 27,794
Jan 21, 2011 4:00pm
september63;646988 wrote:Shame on the PGA for this shit. I hated it the first time and even more now! Do you honestly think if a viewer caught an infraction on Tiger Woods at Augusta the tour would do this to him. Its hypocrisy.
Yes they would. If there is video proof that an infraction happened and it is brought to the Tour's attention, they have to act on it. The Tour LOVES Tiger, but they are not going to blatantly show the world that they favor him.
But I pretty much echo the sentiments of everyone else, I don't think it should be allowed. If the player didn't catch it himself and the rule's official WHO WALKS WITH THE GROUP didn't see it, I don't think some bum on his couch should be able to do this.
Heretic
Posts: 18,820
Jan 21, 2011 4:05pm
Man, if I was Harrington, that dude and his entire family would have hits put on them.
darbypitcher22
Posts: 8,000
Jan 21, 2011 5:50pm
I'm not sure how I feel about this... rules are rules, but the idea that I could be DQ'd by someone thousands of miles away for ratting on me seems kind of silly
E
elbuckeye28
Posts: 919
Jan 21, 2011 9:32pm
I think one of the major problems with this rule is that not every shot of every player is on TV. A scenario just like this one likely happens more often than it is noticed because many players, depending on their popularity, tee time, and position during the tournament, do not have much TV coverage. It is just too inconsistent. That being said, if a player makes an obvious and serious rule violation that goes unnoticed, then I think that is more acceptable to report.darbypitcher22;647381 wrote:I'm not sure how I feel about this... rules are rules, but the idea that I could be DQ'd by someone thousands of miles away for ratting on me seems kind of silly
D
Dthane
Posts: 169
Jan 22, 2011 11:31pm
Ever since Craig Stadler with the "build a stance" for putting a stinking towel down (when was that-1980's?) I have thought that if someone calls in before the round is over, tack on the strokes and they can sign the right scorecard. If it is after that, case closed. Especially don't like that 2 days later they can get called and then they have signed an incorrect card. If they are going to allow this, every golfer in every competitive round should be filmed, then they can check the tapes later that day to make sure nothing illegal has happened.
C
campar46809
Posts: 1
Jan 23, 2011 10:11pm
Golf is a game of honor and I guarantee Paddy new what he did was wrong. I know this because I play tournament golf and know when I break the rules. I'm ecstatic that the viewer saw what happened and reported it. I only wish other sports could have the same code of ethics and honor that golf has.
karen lotz
Posts: 22,284
Jan 23, 2011 11:41pm
campar46809;649907 wrote:Golf is a game of honor and I guarantee Paddy new what he did was wrong. I know this because I play tournament golf and know when I break the rules. I'm ecstatic that the viewer saw what happened and reported it. I only wish other sports could have the same code of ethics and honor that golf has.
That's fine and all, but if Harrington knew what he did, why didn't he call the penalty on himself? He would have signed the correct scorecard and wouldn't have been DQ'd. I don't think anyone is questioning the ethics and honor of golf. Its already been asked on here a couple times, but what would happen if it wasn't Harrington but rather a Tour rookie or someone who doesn't have every shot followed by a camera? The penalty wouldn't have been called. That is the bigger issue as it isn't a level playing field.
S
Sonofanump
Jan 24, 2011 7:42am
Skyhook79;646919 wrote:If only viewers could call/e-mail in with missed infractions in the NFL.
Except most fans do not completely understand the rule and you would get calls from people with objective bias.