Villegas disqualified from Kapalua after viewer phones in rules violation

camilo villegas
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Camilo Villegas learned of his disqualified on Friday, which also happens to be his 29th birthday.
Associated Press


Published: Friday, January 07, 2011 | 9:38 p.m.




Making it worse, Villegas was celebrating his 29th birthday Friday.








Villegas said the violation was clar.


It was a tough start to the year, coming off a season filled with impactful rules decisions.

In two cases -- Brian Davis ticking a reed in a waste area at Hilton Head and Ian Poulter’s coin moving slightly when he dropped his ball on the green during a playoff -- the players called the penalty on themselves.

Dustin Johnson grounded his club in a bunker he didn’t know he was in at the PGA Championship, and the PGA of America notified him of the two-stroke penalty before he signed his card, knocking him out of a playoff. Juli Inkster also was disqualified for swinging a weighted club during a long wait on the tee in an LPGA Tour event last fall. That infraction was called in by a viewer.





Villegas will receive unofficial money of $53,500, as Ogilvy did when he withdrew. Neither gets FedExCup points.



I thought Oosthuizen should've been DQ'd at the Masters for swinging 2 clubs simultaneously on the 18th Tee box (extra hole). Rule 14-3 prohibits use of training devices and "unusual use of equipment". 2 clubs is the same a using a donut or other club weight, and I've seen others DQ for that.


This rule obsession is getting rediculous. Each tournament should have a three man committe that can reverse rule indiscretions when they do not give the player an advantage. Call it the Simpson/Johnston committee.


I viewed and read the rules they discussed, watching the track of the ball down the hill it is quite obvious that the ball passed to the right of the spot (CV standing) that CV cleared out, therefore it would have had no impact on the positioning of the ball as it progressed down the hill. Therefore no violation occured unless there is another rule, if so no one can repair any divot while ball is in flight and most golfers would be guilty of this act when driving from the fairway and repairing the divot before that shot completes its journey to the hole.


It was on the 9th hole, he carded a double and should have been at least 7.


I saw it too, if Villegas can be disqualified, so should Pettersson. I saw his ball move when he grounded his club, it rotated and did not rotate back. He should have noticed it and called himself on it.


carl petersons ball moved while addressing ball just before chipping onto green during 2nd. round. dont know what hole.