ST ANDREWS, Scotland (Reuters) -- American Ryder Cup player David Toms was disqualified from the 134th British Open on Friday after owning up to a rules infringement.

The 38-year-old from Louisiana, the 2001 PGA Championship winner, signed for a two-over 74 in the first round but later told officials he believed he had hit a moving ball when he played the notorious 17th Road Hole.

"That would carry an automatic two-shot penalty," said a Royal and Ancient spokesman. "So he was disqualified for signing for an incorrect score. I don't think anybody else noticed -- he called it on himself."

"It was just one of those iffy areas about whether or not a rule was violated and I was the only one that saw it," Toms told reporters.

"I might have hit a moving ball when I went to tap-in and I just felt it was better that I disqualified myself.

"I didn't go through my normal routine and it happened so fast because it was for double bogey. It was just one of those things and I'm not sure exactly what happened," Toms added.

"The more I thought about it there was too much uncertainty and thought it was better that I disqualified myself. I was probably the only one able to do that."