HEIDELBERG, Germany, May 18: Britain’s Brian Davis was disqualified from the Deutsche Bank Open for infringing putting rules in the first round, officials said on Saturday.

Television replays showed Davis tapping in a putt mallet-fashion, straddling the putter — an action deemed illegal by golf’s governing body in Europe, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R and A).

The former Spanish Open winner, who had equalled tournament favourite Tiger Woods’s three-under-par 69 in the opening round at St Leon-Rot on Friday, was penalised two strokes by referee and fellow Briton John Paramor after television evidence had been checked.

As Davis had already signed his card and his indiscretion was discovered some time after his round, he was then disqualified for signing for a wrong score.

It was the second time this year that Davis had been disqualified. In the Spanish Open last month, he was disqualified for signing for a wrong second-round score.—Reuters