Harrington disqualified in Abu Dhabi

Ireland's Padraig Harrington attends a press conference after he was disqualified from the tournament during the second round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Friday, Jan. 21, 2011.
Ireland's Padraig Harrington attends a press conference after he was disqualified from the tournament during the second round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Friday, Jan. 21, 2011.

Three time major-winner Padraig Harrington was been disqualified before the second round of the HSBC 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 emailed 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."

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 said, "in all good conscience, I couldn't have put the ball anywhere else but where it was."

Harrington's disqualification is the most recent to be caused 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.