R&A, USGA revise incorrect scorecard disqualification ruling

Golf’s governing bodies – the USGA and R&A – have approved a change in the interpretation of the rules of golf, meaning that players will no longer be automatically be disqualified because of rule violations discovered by television viewers.

The move comes after high profile social media and mainstream media furore over the disqualifications of Padraig Harrington in the Abu Dhabi Championship and Camilo Vilegas in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii back in January this year.

The decision means that players who are unaware of a rules breach before signing their score card won’t now be automatically disqualified. However, players will still receive the statutory penalty for the rules breach.

The change covers the Rules of Golf ruling 33-7/4.5 – Competitor Unaware of Penalty Returns Wrong Score – and addresses the situation where a player is unawares that he has breached a rule because of facts that he did not know and could not have discovered prior to returning his scorecard. The amendment comes into immediate effect.

“For some time we have been concerned that, in certain limited circumstances, disproportionate disqualification penalties have been required by the Rules,” said R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson.
“This carefully considered decision reflects our desire to ensure that the Rules of Golf remain fair and relevant in the changing environment in which the game is played today.”

The Barclays Betting Preview

As the European qualification for the Ryder Cup closes with the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, this week’s opening event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs series sees four potential European team members take their place in the field. The four players – Padraig Harrington, Paul Casey, Luke Donald and Justin Rose – cannot qualify automatically for the team, so have left their Ryder Cup fate for Colin Montgomerie to decide – and at least one of them will miss out.

The Barclays event will be played over the Ridgewood Golf Course in New Jersey and the course staged this event in 2008 when it was won by Vijay Singh. The course measures around 7,300 yards and plays to a par-71. Tight, tree-lined fairways place an emphasis on solid, accurate ball striking rather than distance so players who can patiently nurse a ball round the course should do well.

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Villegas romps to Honda Classic victory

Columbia’s Camilo Villegas scorched to victory at the Honda Classic after a final round 68 saw him win the tournament by five strokes from American Anthony Kim. The PGA National course had no answer to the powerful Columbian who smashed the previous winning total of nine-under par which was set by YE Yang in 2009.

Villegas and Kim had gone head-to-head in the tournament after sharing the lead at half-way but Villegas was by far the more consistent of the two throughout. Kim will doubtless be left wondering what might have been, after his third round 73 seemingly put him out of contention but the Ryder Cup star bounced back in the final round to emerge as the only likely threat to the Columbian.

Despite a nervy run-in which saw Villegas card back-to-back bogeys on the back nine, there was enough left in the tank to see off Kim and win his first PGA Tour event since 2008. Starting the final round three strokes ahead of the field, Villegas was six ahead by the 10th hole and coasting to victory. But those back-to-back bogeys and another on the 15th – the first of the ‘Bear Trap’ holes could have proved costly had Kim, or any of his rivals been closer to take advantage.

England’s Justin Rose finished in third place, a distant seven shots behind Villegas after shooting a final round 64. Vijay Singh and Rose’s countryman Paul Casey were a further shot behind and shared fourth place.

Rose’s third place gave the US-based Englishman some valuable world ranking points but remains some way off an automatic Ryder Cup place.

Villegas fired all four of his winning rounds below par – 66-66-67-68- and tee’d up at PGA National without a practice round after playing in a pro-am for the Bogota Open in his native Columbia – the first PGA sanctioned event to be held in the country – before arriving in Florida.

Villegas won $1.01million for his win, which puts him on top of the money list for the season, just ahead of Steve Stricker.

Villegas also climbed to twelfth place in the world rankings and a place in the world’s top 10 of golf looks assured before long.

Villegas maintains Phoenix Open lead

Camilo Villegas held onto his Phoenix Open lead but was tied at the top of the leaderboard by United States’ Mark Wilson. Villegas, who had started the day with a one-shot lead following a scorching first round 62 at TPC Scottsdale carded a second round 69 to share the half-way lead with Wilson, after the American shot 66.

Ryder Cup player Anthony Kim shares third place in an all-American trio alongside Ryan Moore and Rickie Fowler one shot behind; while a sextet of players are tied for sixth place a further stroke off the pace. Among the six are Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, United States’ Pat Perez and veteran Tom Lehman.

In a round suspended due to darkness, Ian Poulter shot a joint best-of-the-day 63 to move up the leaderboard and the Englishman lies tied for 16th place alongside countryman Justin Rose. A total of eight players make up the bracket which lies just four shots off the lead.

Phil Mickelson threatened the top of the leaderboard during his second round after carding four birdies on his front nine. A further birdie down the back was tempered by two bogeys and the world number three finished with a second successive 68 to lay 5 shots off the pace alongside 14 others, including Geoff Ogilvy, Mark Calcavecchia, Chad Campbell and US PGA champion YE Yang.

After recovering back to two-under par in his first round, our pick JB Holmes also made progress through the field with a 68 to add to his opening 69 for a five under total to sit six off the lead. United States’ Nick Watney was the other player to shoot 63 and equal Poulter’s round. The American was in danger of missing the cut after a first round of 74, but his equal best-of-the-day round sees him safely make the weekend’s play. The pair are among a group of 15 players on five-under par.

The delayed second rounds will be concluded early Saturday, with Matt Every among those who will need to complete their rounds.

Villegas to the fore in Phoenix Open

Columbian Camilo Villegas scorched TPC Scottsdale during the first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Villegas, who finished third behind Ian Poulter in last week’s WGC Accenture World Match Play posted a tournament-equalling nine-under-par round of 62 to take a one shot lead into the second round.

It was the Columbian’s lowest ever round in a PGA event and included three birdies on the front nine, with a further six birdies on the back nine as he took full advantage of his early start and ideal conditions.

Villegas, who twice won on the PGA Tour in 2008, is seeking his first tournament win since winning the Tour Championship that year.

United States’ Matt Every carded a 63 to lie one shot behind Villegas, while Englishman Justin Rose formed part of a five-man group including Mark Wilson, Ryuji Imada, Rickie Fowler and Pat Perez a further shot behind in a tie for third place. The quintet sits three shots off the pace, with Rose seeking his first PGA Tour victory. Rose could have been even closer to the lead if he hadn’t dropped shots on both the first and last holes.

Every, who had started at the 10th enjoyed a run of six successive birdies – the longest streak of the PGA Tour this year – from the 17th, and the round went a long way to banishing the events of the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Cancun last week where he signed for an incorrect third-round score and was subsequently disqualified.

Last week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play champion Ian Poulter endured a difficult day as he finished with a one-over-par 72. With afternoon conditions proving tricky for many players, Poulter found himself three-over at one point before clawing back to his one-over first round score which gives him a fighting chance of making the half-way cut.

Similarly, JB Holmes had also dropped to two-over par around the turn but fought back to two-under par and keep the tip alive.

Kenny Perry, the reigning champion, carded a three-under-par 68 while Phil Mickelson, making his return after skipping the WGC-Accenture Match Play to be with his family shot a similar score. Mickelson carded six birdies but tempered those with three bogeys as he continued to struggle with his putter.

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