Hideki Matsuyama has been disqualified from a PGA event for the first time in his professional golf career.
Matsuyama was DQed in the opening round of the 2022 Memorial Tournament on Thursday. He finished the nine holes with three bogeys and was 3 over par at the time of his disqualification.
Matsuyama, the 2014 Memorial Tournament winner, had earlier in the day provided a highlight when an approach shot that appeared destined for the creek instead landed on a bridge.
Saved by the bridge 😅 pic.twitter.com/COEgxvobdZ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 2, 2022
Read More:- New-look European golf tour to host first tournament in Japan
Matsuyama’s run in the Memorial Tournament was cut short for a variety of reasons.
The usage of a non-conforming club was the basis for Matsuyama’s disqualification.
Chief referee and PGA Tour senior tournament director Steve Rintoul revealed that a white paint was placed to the face of one of Matsuyama’s clubs that was comparable to the Wite-Out correction fluid used on a sheet of paper. While golfers are allowed to use sharpie markers to aid in alignment, Matsuyama’s substance was too thick and was placed on the club’s face, according to Rintoul, making the club non-conforming.
Read More:- Woods defies the odds in quest for sixth Masters title
Matsuyama’s club was discovered after he teed off on the first hole, according to Rintoul, and the PGA checked in with him on the second hole to see if he had used it. Matsuyama would not have been disqualified if he had only been carrying the club and not utilized it.
“On the second hole, one of our officials spoke with Hideki. ‘Hideki, do you have a [non-conforming] club with you?’ Yes. ‘Did you use the club, Hideki?’ Unfortunately, he used it off the first tee, therefore the answer is yes “Rintoul explained. “Off the first tee, using a non-conforming club resulted in a disqualification.”
Hideki Matsuyama has been disqualified from @MemorialGolf for a non-conforming club (rule 4.1a). pic.twitter.com/7Z1HHH0LwG
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 2, 2022
Chief Referee Steve Rintoul explains the full context behind Matsuyama’s DQ. pic.twitter.com/6Oio4BhhpV
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 2, 2022
Rintoul went on to say that after speaking with Matsuyama at the second hole, the committee continued its due diligence, and that Rintoul later returned to discuss the club with the person who applied the paint to the face, but that there was no disputing that the paint on the face could affect the ball’s performance.
“If the paint had been down and at the bottom of the grooves, that would have been fine,” Rintoul recalled, “but because it was physically on the face of the club, that caused a problem for Hideki.”
Matsuyama was disqualified from the competition when the design on his club was revealed by GolfWRX earlier in the day.
