Villegas disqualified from Tournament

Associated Press

KAPALUA, Hawaii

Robert Garrigus, the biggest hitter on the PGA Tour, is leading the Tournament of Champions thanks to one of the shortest clubs in his bag.

Garrigus holed out a wedge for eagle on the 16th hole, then followed that with two big drives and to set up easy birdies for a 10-under 63 and a one-shot lead going into the weekend at the season-opening event.

Garrigus, who qualified for the winners-only event in the final tournament of the PGA Tour season, was at 14-under 132 and will be in the final group with Carl Pettersson, who birdied the last hole for a 67.

Jonathan Byrd shot 68 and was another shot behind. There are plenty of players in the hunt, with Ernie Els (64), Steve Stricker (67), Francesco Molinari (67), and Jim Furyk (68) within four shots.

The tournament lost another star player Friday when Camilo Villegas was disqualified for a rules violation that a television viewer called in after the opening round at Kapalua.

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 was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.

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

“It makes me sick ... that it wasn’t recognized prior to him signing his card,” said Slugger White, the PGA Tour’s vice president of rules.

White found a decision in the rules that allowed for no penalty if the player did not realize the ball would wind up where the loose impediment was removed. That didn’t apply in this case because the ball was clearly coming down the steep slope toward his divot.