Harrington says rule should not be changed

GOLF NEWS DIGEST:PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON has said the rule that caused him to be disqualified from the Abu Dhabi Championship should not be changed. The Royal and Ancient Club is considering changes to the rules that have recently seen leading players Camilo Villegas, Ian Poulter and Harrington disqualified.

Harrington became the latest to fall foul of the Rules of Golf for signing for an incorrect score but only after TV footage revealed he had moved his ball in picking up his marker.

In normal play, the infraction would have incurred a two-stroke penalty but as it was not brought to full notice until the next morning, and as the triple major winner had handed in his scorecard, it meant instant disqualification.

Harrington fully accepted the blame and has received widespread praise for the way he handled the matter after being in such a strong position just one stroke off the lead following a first-round 65.

“It’s going to be a difficult rule to change, and it’s not as clear cut as people think to make a change of a rule like that,” Harrington said yesterday. “It would have to be a tough sub-committee to sit on, to figure out what would be the right rule change.

“There’s a lot of things to consider like the halfway cut on the Friday evening, and you have to know positions of everyone, and on Saturday you have to know your position based on the fact you’re attacking or defending a lead.

“So more than just having to sign your card, you need good reason to change the rule.Whether the ball moves a millimetre today, is an inch next week, or five inches another week, it’s just going to be a tough rule to change.

“The rule has probably been there for a hundred years now. It’s there for good reason, so it’s easier to talk about it than to actually change it.”

Harrington was commenting ahead of this week’s inaugural Volvo Champions event in Bahrain.

Meanwhile Sergio Garcia is ready to put the fun back into his game when he starts a new season in Bahrain. The Spaniard, who turned 31 this month, begins the year ranked 80th in the world having plummeted 60 places in a year – a drop accelerated by his decision to take an extended break after last year’s USPGA Championship.

That 10-week sabbatical was prompted by a run of poor form when the trademark Garcia smile was sadly absent, but the former world number two said he is now enjoying being back.

“I am very keen to get the season under way and definitely, looking forward to it,” Garcia, winner of 19 tournaments, but none since 2008, said.

“So just looking forward to playing, looking forward to enjoying it out there, and hopefully have a good time and do some of the things we know how to do. There is some work that needed to be done, but I think as the week goes on, we’ll get better. I played nine holes this morning and the game feels fine. So, like I said before, as the week goes on, you kind of get into competition mode and you start getting used to it.”

Apart from playing at the Castellon Masters he hosts and the European season-ender in Dubai, where he shared 21st place, the only other time Garcia has been seen out on the course since his “time-out” was as one of the European team’s Ryder Cup vice-captains at Celtic Manor. Despite Europe’s victory, Ryder Cup regular Garcia said it was a frustrating experience.

“It was a bit frustrating being in Wales not as a competitor, because even though you try to do as much as possible and you try to help the team as much as you can, obviously when you’re not playing you feel like you’re a little bit left out,” he said.

TIGER WOODShas been paired with Rocco Mediate for his USPGA Tour season debut this week at Torrey Pines golf course in San Diego, the site of their 19-hole US Open play-off in 2008. Woods has won the past five tournaments he's played at Torrey Pines, including the US Open win over Mediate. They will play in a group with Anthony Kim in the $5.8 million (€4.3 million) Farmers Insurance Open teeing off on the 10th hole of the North Course.

Woods, 35, hasn’t played at Torrey Pines the past two years, missing the USPGA Tour event in 2009 while recovering from knee surgery and last year while taking a break from golf due to personal issues that led to his divorce.