Recent PGA Tour winner Michael Brennan has revealed what led to his disqualification from the Farmers Insurance Open.
The 23-year-old, who won the Bank of Utah Championship last season on a sponsor exemption, fired a two-under 70 on the North Course at Torrey Pines on Thursday.
But moments after he completed his round in San Diego, the PGA Tour announced he was disqualified after breaching Model Local Rule G-11.
A statement from the official communications team said the young golfer had been using “non-permitted green-reading materials”.
Brennan has now released a lengthy statement on his Instagram page explaining that he reported the rules breach himself.
Michael Brennan was DQ after the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open for a breach of Model Local Rule G-11; use of non-permitted green-reading materials
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) January 30, 2026
He said the mistake was “a painful lesson to learn” but has vowed to come back stronger, starting next week at the WM Phoenix Open.
“Just wanted to clear the air on what happened at the Farmers Insurance Open this week,” he wrote.
“I started working with a new course data analyst at the beginning of the week in an effort to improve my course strategy.
“The evening before each round, he sends the hole locations on green maps to help with my plan on approach shots.
“After completion of my round, I asked him for clarification of a feature on the green maps.
“During the clarification, he mentioned that I was not able to transcribe any details on the greens from his diagram into my yardage book.
“Upon learning this, I reached out to a PGA Tour rules official, reporting my mistake, and was subsequently disqualified from the golf tournament.
“Whilst this has been a painful lesson to learn, I am looking forward to the party in the desert next week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, let’s go!”
Brennan turned professional in 2024 after graduating from Wake Forest University.
He excelled on the PGA Tour Americas and was given a sponsor exemption to take part in the Bank of Utah Championship.
On his start on the PGA Tour, Brennan became the first sponsor exemption to win since Nick Dunlap triumphed at The American Express in January 2024 as an amateur.
It meant Brennan got to skip the developmental Korn Ferry Tour and go straight to the big leagues.
He earned a two-year exemption, along with a spot in this year’s PGA Championship and $20m RBC Heritage.
Brennan is now inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
England’s Justin Rose held the 36-hole lead at the Farmers, with several big names missing the cut.
Brooks Koepka, making his first start on the PGA Tour in more than four years, made the weekend on the number.