Disqualification won’t fry Dimi
PAPADATOS HAS TO MOVE ON QUICKLY AFTER BRAIN FADE
Australian golfer Dimi Papadatos does not have time to dwell on the shattering sequence of events that wrecked his chance to secure a European Tour card.
Papadatos, 27, is intent on bouncing back quickly at this week’s NSW Open and next week’s Australian Open.
But he must put behind him disqualification from the secondary Challenge Tour Grand Final in the United Arab Emirates last week.
Needing a good result to jump at least four places from 19th on the Challenge Tour rankings and claim a European Tour berth, Portugal Open winner Papadatos was looking good after four birdies on his first six holes.
However, a triple bogey on the 10th was followed by a quadruplebogey eight on the 12th.
After finding the water a second time, Papadatos did what many golfers would and let his eightiron f ly into the turf.
He used it again in a fairway bunker on the 14th, but it was not until he pulled it from his bag on the 17th that he noticed a slight bend in the shaft.
Papadatos reported it to officials and a few hours later he was on a flight home, disqualified for using a club that had been altered or damaged other than in the normal course of play.
‘‘I told my caddie and he was like ‘surely it’s not’ (a disqualification),’’ Papadatos said.
‘‘My playing partner thought the same and the rules official did ring around to see if there was a loophole, but there was nothing they could do.
‘‘I’m the same as anyone who’s had a triple and a quadruple (bogey), I’m alright but definitely not an angel out there.’’
Papadatos will tee it up in the NSW Open at Twin Creeks in Sydney from today and look forward to a summer that includes the Australian Open at The Lakes and Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast.
A Challenge Tour ranking of 21 will still allow him opportunities on the European tour next year but he knows he can’t afford to waste any more chances.
‘‘You put all your time, money, energy and life in it and the rewards are big, but the downs are very low as well,’’ he said.
‘‘You start getting used to it, realise it’s going to happen — that was just a very unfortunate time for it to happen.’’