Kruger holds on after Whiteford disqualification

Jbe Kruger collected a maiden European Tour victory at the Avantha Masters in New Delhi (AFP)

Jbe Kruger collected a maiden European Tour victory at the Avantha Masters in New Delhi, after Scotland's Peter Whiteford was disqualified late in the third round for moving his ball.

Whiteford, one off the lead at the start of the day, was disqualified after replays of his third shot to the 18th showed that his ball rolled a fraction before he played to the green. Because he signed his card, he was disqualified.

The 31-year-old was assured by his caddie, a fellow competitor and a TV cameraman that the ball hadn't moved and so did not review it. Officials later did so and Whiteford was given the bad news just after bogeying the short third on his final round.

For Kruger, a final-round 69 was enough to finish 14 under for a two-stroke win. Spain's Jorge Campillo tied for second with Germany's Marcel Siem. Marcus Fraser of Austria and Spain's Jose Manuel Lara were three behind.

On his disqualification, Whiteford said: "I should have reviewed it. You can see it when you look at TV. The European Tour chief referee, John Paramor, spoke to me before I went out, so my head wasn't in it from the first tee. I'm not cheating, obviously. It's one of those things, but disappointing."