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"An armchair official tweeted in to get Camilo DQ?d... What is wrong with people? Have they got nothing better to do?"

Some guy watching the Tournament of Champions on TV got Camilo Villegas disqualified for "flick[ing] away some loose grass Thursday as his ball was rolling down a slope back toward his divot on the 15th hole at Kapalua."

Violating the rule normally incurs a two-shot penalty. But because Villegas had completed his round before his violation was confirmed Friday by the P.G.A., he was disqualified from the Tour?s season-opening event for signing an incorrect scorecard.

Ernie Els suggested the introduction of a deadline beyond which golfers could not be disqualified from a tournament.

?If it?s a rules violation, it should be dealt with,? the South African said. ?Should there be a deadline? If you sign your card, it?s done and you can?t do anything about it. If somebody wants to call in, you?ve got to do it before we are done playing.?

Hey, don't violate the rules! I don't agree with Els's idea of a deadline. You're supposed to call the penalty on yourself, not try to get away with it. The disqualification is the incentive needed to protect the honest players.

Full post as published by Althouse on January 11, 2011 (boomark / email).