Rory McIlroy reacts Frank Kennedy's "harsh" disqualification at Q-School

Masters champion Rory McIlroy says Frank Kennedy's disqualification from the final stage of qualifying school seemed "harsh" but it's good that golf's governing bodies are finally cracking down on tempestuous behaviour. 

Kennedy, 21, was well-positioned after 72 holes of the six-round marathon in a bid to earn one of 15 DP World Tour cards on offer at the Infinitum Resort in Spain. 

But the highly-rated youngster, from Manchester, was disqualified from the tournament on Monday after rules officials deemed the golfer guilty of "serious misconduct" following an outburst of anger on the 11th hole at the Hills Course. 

Kennedy missed a birdie putt and, as he was walking towards the next hole, swung his putter and caught the putting surface.

American golf journalist Ryan French, who first broke the news, claimed he had been told that Kennedy and even his father pleaded with rules officials after his round concluded for the decision to be reviewed. 

Kennedy added in a statement late on Monday that it wasn't clear to him, based on conversations with other players, that his actions should've resulted in disqualification. 

"I have always respected and followed the Rules of Golf," he said. 

"If accidental contact like this, repaired at once, is a disqualification offence, I will respect that. 

"But it isn't clear to me that it is, and many senior players I've spoken to this evening were surprised by the decision."

The aforementioned French has since published an image of the damage next to the hole. 

McIlroy told reporters ahead of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai: "I think [it was] very unfortunate. 

"I was talking to Harry [Diamond, his caddie] about it out on the course. 

"It seems harsh but at the same time, I think it's good that golf and the authorities are cracking down on things like this. 

"It's an unbelievably unfortunate incident."

McIlroy was referencing the fact the governing bodies of the four men's majors (R&A, USGA, PGA of America, Augusta National) all agreed to clamp down on misconduct.

Several high-profile players triggered debate with their actions during this year's Open, PGA Championship, Masters and U.S. Open. 

Spain's Sergio Garcia and Scotland's Robert MacIntyre drew the ire of the green jackets at Augusta National. 

Garcia smashed his driver into the tee box and nearby water cooler after hitting an errant drive during the final round. 

MacIntyre directed a middle finger towards the 15th green after making a quadruple-bogey. 

Both players were reprimanded. 

Jon Rahm received a warning after he tossed his club in frustration during the second round of this year's Open at Royal Birkdale. 

The Spaniard later admitted he momentarily "forgot" about the new code of conduct.

Joaquin Niemann became the first player to be docked shots for his hissy fit during the U.S. Open. 

The Chilean was penalised over his first-round meltdown on the par-4 6th hole at Shinnecock Hills.

He sent two tee shots out of bounds and ultimately saw red in the deep fescue.

After unsuccessfully seeking relief from fire ants, Niemann kicked a volunteer's marker flag and hurled his wedge an estimated 50 yards across the course towards the gallery boundary line, with the club later recovered by a local police officer.

USGA officials reviewed the incident and determined the violent club-throwing and mistreatment of the course breached Rule 1.2b, adding a rare two-shot penalty to his card en route to a quadruple-bogey nine and an opening 78.

The landmark ruling made Niemann the first official casualty of the unified policy. 

McIlroy, too, has also been guilty at times during the course of his career of letting his emotions get the better of him.

He memorably lobbed his 3-iron into a lake during the 2015 WGC-Cadillac Championship after his approach to the 8th hole at Doral also found a watery grave. 

McIlroy also endured an unfortunate break during the final round of the 2021 DP World Tour Championship. 

A well-struck pitch hit the flagstick and ricocheted off the green into a bunker, leading to a bogey. 

He stumbled through the closing stretch, allowing Collin Morikawa to claim the title. 

Immediately after signing his scorecard, an image went viral showing McIlroy walking through the scorer's tent with his Nike golf shirt violently ripped down the chest, torn apart by hand in pure frustration

"I still have my moments where I'm maybe not proud of some of the things that I do on the golf course in anger or if I've hit a bad shot," added McIlroy. 

"But I would say since having Harry on the bag, like going back to just Harry, I'll never get angry at him because he's my best friend and he's only doing his best out there and whatever, and it's just not worth it. 

"It's not worth to get angry because I would never want anything to get in the way of our friendship to start with.

"But I think that's what probably keeps me the most calm on the golf course is, like, it's just not worth it. 

"I think nearly 20 years into a career, you learn to take the rough with the smooth and know that there's going to be highs and lows, and as long as you and expect those things to happen, then you can deal with them the right way."