Hideki Matsuyama receives first PGA Tour disqualification for unlawful membership markings

Muricas News  — 

Hideki Matsuyama was disqualified in the course of the opening spherical of the Memorial Event on Thursday after unlawful markings had been discovered on considered one of his golf equipment.

The Japanese golfer, winner of the Masters in 2021, was dominated out of the PGA Tour occasion at Muirfield Village Golf in Ohio on the tenth tee after a white, paint-like substance utilized to the face of his 3-wood was discovered to be in violation of apparatus guidelines.

It's the first time that Matsuyama, ranked twelfth on the earth, has been disqualified from a PGA Tour occasion, coming on the event which he achieved the primary of his eight PGA Tour wins at in 2014.

Chief referee and PGA Tour Senior Event Director Steve Rintoul mentioned officers had been made conscious of a possible “non-conforming” membership after Matsuyama’s preliminary tee-off and had spoken to the 30-year-old to substantiate that he had used it.

“He was very sincere and forthright about it,” Rintoul, who spoke with Matsuyama personally on the fifth fairway, mentioned, based on the PGA Tour web site.

The markings had been utilized by one of many Japanese golfers’ crew to assist with alignment, Rintoul mentioned. Whereas it's not a violation of the principles so as to add small sharpie marks to assist alignment, it's when it's deemed to “unduly have an effect on the efficiency of a ball,” the referee defined.

“What was finished there with that substance, which could be very a lot a white-out substance we'd use at dwelling, was a coding not solely within the grooves however was very thick alongside the face,” Rintoul instructed NBC Sports activities.

“Now, he’s utilized a substance to the face, which renders the membership non-conforming … a participant is disqualified in the event that they use a non-conforming membership.”

Having shot a 3-over 39 on the primary 9 holes, Matsuyama was knowledgeable of his disqualification on the tenth tee.

“I’m not going to say he was anticipating it, but it surely wasn’t as a lot a shock as it will have been if it had been unknown,” Rintoul mentioned.

Matsuyama had been chasing his second PGA Tour win of 2022 after triumphing on the Sony Open in Hawaii in January.

Six golfers sit tied for the lead at 5-under 67 after Thursday’s motion, the best quantity ever following a gap spherical on the Memorial Event.

American trio Luke Listing, Davis Riley, and Cameron Younger sit stage with Canadian Mackenzie Hughes, Australian World No. 3 Cameron Smith and South Korea’s Lee Kyoung-Hoon.

Bryson DeChambeau shot a 4-over 76 in his first spherical of golf for the reason that Masters in April, having required wrist surgical procedure following the foremost.

The 28-year-old injured his hand when he slipped over on a marble flooring whereas taking part in desk tennis on the Saudi Worldwide in February, with surgical procedure inflicting him to overlook the PGA Championship in Might.

US Open champion in 2020 and an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, DeChambeau was completely happy to be again on the course regardless of a harsh self-assessment.

“I used to be capable of take pleasure in golf once more although I performed horrible,” he instructed reporters. “I do know I've plenty of stuff to work on. Simply with the ability to go on the market, begin to take pleasure in what this sport has given me.

“From a golf perspective, I hated each minute of it. However from an emotional standpoint, it was good to lastly be again once more in a aggressive atmosphere.”