Frank Kennedy's father speaks out after son’s Q-School disqualification

Frank Kennedy's father has become the latest to speak out over his son's disqualification from the final stage of DP World Tour Q-School.

Until Monday, it could be argued that only the most ardent golf fan was aware of the 21-year-old from Manchester.

Kennedy was disqualified after the fourth round of the 108-hole tournament when rules officials deemed him guilty of "serious misconduct" on the 11th hole of the Hills Course at Infinitum in Spain.

Kennedy missed a birdie putt and, as he walked off the green, caught the turf with his putter while attempting to hit an air shot in frustration.

After completing his round, during which he was well-positioned not only to make the 72-hole cut but also to contend for one of the 15 cards on offer, Kennedy was informed he had been disqualified.

He requested a review, but the original decision was upheld. Kennedy has since released two statements, making clear that he never intended to damage the course.

The disqualification has got the golf world talking, with reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy describing the ruling as "harsh", while also saying it was good that tempestuous behaviour was being clamped down on.

Initial reports suggested Kennedy had left a large gouge on the green, but his father, Simon, told GOLF: "The damage it caused was not a foot [deep] trench or a divot - it was a 4-inch-long, 1.5-inch-wide track, a graze, not a divot."

Simon added: "I'm not trying to mitigate the damage; the damage is the damage. On a moral level, he deserves some sort of a talking to or punishment.

"There's various things flying around that don't seem to be too accurate.

"I wasn't there so, trust me, as you would expect, I've asked a lot of questions, because I want as much clarity as possible in this."

Kennedy was punished under Rule 1.2a of the Rules of Golf.

It states: "All players are expected to play in the spirit of the game by taking good care of the course - for example, by replacing divots, smoothing bunkers, repairing ball-marks, and not causing unnecessary damage to the course."

It adds: "There is no penalty under the Rules for failing to act in this way, except that the Committee may disqualify a player for acting contrary to the spirit of the game if it finds that the player has committed serious misconduct."

Simon pointed out that the Rules make no mention of 'intent'.

"Talking about this, it's almost a little bit like brain surgery," he added. "It requires careful navigation."

Kennedy's disqualification could have career-altering consequences.

He will be eligible to return to the HotelPlanner Tour in 2027 to try to earn promotion again, but he may not do so.

"We'll review that," Simon said.

Asked about his son's welfare, he added: "He's not great.

"[This was] his first experience of a little bit of viral media, and he's getting 10,000 comments all saying, 'You little b----', 'You dig a big trench near the hole', 'You are Sergio Garcia'. Et cetera, et cetera. It's pretty tough.

"The only thing he wanted to clarify is the fact that there was no intent.

"Is he sorry? One hundred per cent he's sorry. Does he wish it hadn't happened? Yes, 100 per cent.

"But was it an intentional act to damage the golf green? One hundred per cent no, it wasn't.

"And then it's up to reasonable people - do they believe that it was a legitimate accident, be that it deserves a penalty or not? Personally, I believe him."