Masters blow for Eddie Pepperell as he is disqualified in Doha

Eddie Pepperell believes the manner of his disqualification from the Qatar Masters was “a fair distance away from common sense” as his hopes of qualifying for the Masters took a major blow.

Eddie Pepperell plays out of the rocks at the third hole during the first day of the Qatar Masters. He was later disqualified. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images

Pepperell recovered from a slow start to card an opening level-par 71 at Education City Golf Club in Doha, only to be disqualified for signing for a lower score than he had taken on the 17th.

The 2018 champion’s overall score was correct, but a second disqualification in his last six European Tour events left Pepperell struggling to secure a place in the year’s first major at Augusta National.

Pepperell began the week ranked 63rd in the world and needs to be inside the top 50 after the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play on 30 March.

The 29-year-old, who was disqualified from November’s Turkish Airlines Open after running out of balls in the third round, wrote on Twitter: “My DQ today wasn’t due to me running out of balls, or hitting anyone, instead, I signed for a wrong score.

“My total, 71, was correct and I indeed signed for that. However, my partner had me down for a 5 on one hole where I made a 6, and a 4 on another, where I made 3. I picked him up on it and I changed the card to reflect the fact I actually made a 6 on hole 11 as opposed to a 5, and a 3 on hole 16 as opposed to a 4.

“I then however mistakenly changed the 17th hole, not the 16th hole on my scorecard, and handed it in. Therefore this meant I was disqualified.”

Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard leads by one shot from Holland’s Joost Luiten, with the 18-year-old carding an opening 64.

The top Scots are David Drysdale and Scott Jamieson after rounds of 67. Oban’s Bob MacIntyre is a shot further back.