( CNN ) -- Padraig Harrington has accepted his punishment after being disqualified from the Abu Dhabi Championship for an incident during Thursday 's opening round of the European Tour golf event . Television replays showed that the three-time major winner inadvertently moved his ball with his hand on the green at the seventh hole , but did not sign for the required two-stroke penalty . The Irishman went on to card a seven-under-par 65 which left him one shot off the lead , but he did not tee off for Friday 's second round after officials noticed his infringement . `` I was aware I hit the ball picking up my coin . I looked down at the time and was pretty sure it had just oscillated and had not moved , so I continued on , '' the world No . 26 told the European Tour website . `` In slow motion it 's pretty clear the ball has moved three dimples forward and it 's come back maybe a dimple and a half . At the end of the day that 's good enough , but I would n't have done anything differently yesterday -- there was nothing I could do about it at that moment in time . '' The European Tour 's senior referee Andy McFee explained that Harrington was disqualified after signing for an incorrect score . `` It 's a minute movement , but it 's a movement and he never replaced it , so he should have included a two-stroke penalty . Because he signed for a score lower than actually taken , the penalty is disqualification , '' McFee said . Harrington , who has not won on the European Tour since his second British Open victory and subsequent U.S. PGA Championship triumph in 2008 , said he had no quarrels with the officials . `` The one thing all golfers love about their sport is the fact that we can stand up and say , 'We have the best rules , we are the fairest , we call them on ourselves . ' `` I think in this situation and other situations like that , with the new technology , maybe going forward , that the penalties can be changed . But the actual rulings have to stay where they are . '' Meanwhile , defending champion Martin Kaymer claimed a three-shot lead on Friday after shooting 65 to move up to 12-under 132 at the halfway stage . The 2010 Race To Dubai winner -- also the 2008 victor in Abu Dhabi -- carded a flawless seven-birdie second round , five of them coming in his first seven holes . The German , playing his first tournament of 2011 , will replace Tiger Woods as world No . 2 if he finishes in the top seven . First-round leader Charl Schwartzel was second after a 71 , as the South African dropped three shots in five holes in the middle of his front nine and made two more bogeys after the turn before finishing with a birdie . In-form Schwartzel holds early Abu Dhabi lead . That left last weekend 's Joburg Open winner a shot clear of U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell , who countered three bogeys with five birdies in his 70 . World No . 12 Rory McIlroy was tied for seventh on 138 after a 67 , while former European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie was another shot back in a group of eight after a 69 . World No . 4 Phil Mickelson ( 70 ) was tied for 25th on 141 along with South Africa 's two-time major winner Retief Goosen ( 71 ) . World No . 8 Paul Casey , the winner here in 2007 and 2009 , was tied for 50th after a 70 , while top-ranked fellow Englishman Lee Westwood may also scrape into the weekend rounds after a 75 left him tied for 62nd on 144 -- a shot inside the projected cut . Westwood suffered two double-bogeys on his front nine , but bounced back with birdies at two of his last three holes . Last year 's runner-up Ian Poulter and British Open Louis Oosthuizen were both set to miss out on 145 . Meanwhile , Venezuelan rookie Jhonattan Vegas claimed a share of the lead at the PGA Tour 's Bob Hope Classic after shooting five-under 67 in California on Thursday . The 26-year-old carded eight birdies but closed with his third bogey at the PGA West 's Nicklaus Course in La Quinta . The first man from his country to play on the main U.S. circuit , he had been second overnight following his 64 at the Palmer Course . American Boo Weekley carded 66 at the Nicklaus Course to join him on 13-under 131 , with fellow Americans Charles Howell ( 66 ) and Chris Crouch ( 65 ) tied for third another shot back . The five-round charity event is played over four courses with a mix of professional and amateur players .
Padraig Harrington disqualified from Abu Dhabi Championship after rule infringement . Irishman moved the ball with his hand but did not sign for two -stroke penalty . Defending champion Martin Kaymer claims halfway lead at PGA Tour 's event . Irishman rookie Abu Dhabi Championship Vegas shares halfway lead at European Tour Padraig Harrington Classic .