Armchair vigilantes claim Harrington scalp

GRAEME McDOWELL has labelled TV rules critics ‘anoraks’ and called for a review of the Rules of Golf after the shock disqualification of Pádraig Harrington from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Harrington’s name, lying in second place at seven under par, was removed from all the event scoreboards just short of an hour before he was due to tee-up at noon on day two in the UAE capital.

The triple major champion had been awakened at his hotel by European Tour Senior referee, Andy McFee who informed him that officials had received two e-mails after the Dublin man’s opening 65.