English golfer denies 'deliberate damage' after being disqualified from Q-School

Englishman Frank Kennedy was disqualified from the final stage of the DP World Tour's Q-School after "causing deliberate damage to the course" - an act he denies.The 21-year-old from Manchester was tied for 28th after 72 holes of a 108-hole event at which the top 15 and ties earn a DP World Tour card. He was removed for what organisers called "serious misconduct". Get the latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contractListen to the Sky Sports Golf Podcast with Jamie WeirJon Rahm edges Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton in Abu Dhabi Instagram This content is provided by Instagram, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Instagram cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options. Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Instagram cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Instagram cookies for this session only. Kennedy issued a statement on Instagram which read: "I did not intentionally or deliberately damage the putting surface, and any comments saying otherwise are wholly incorrect."On the 11th green I missed a birdie putt and tapped in. In frustration, as I was walking off the green, I swung my putter and it accidentally caught the surface. "My playing partner and I repaired it straight away, and we were both satisfied it was properly fixed before we moved on. I should have called a referee to check the repair, and I've learned from that. "I have always respected and followed the rules of golf. 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."So, I have asked the DP World Tour for clarification and a review, and I will respect the outcome of that review. While that happens, I won't be commenting further."Kennedy, currently ranked 777th in the world, won an event on the HotelPlanner Tour, the tier below the DP World Tour, as an 18-year-old in 2024, triumphing at the Euram Bank Open in Austria.