Hideki Matsuyama was disqualified from the PGA Tour’s Memorial event.© AFP
Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama was disqualified from the PGA Tour’s Memorial event in weird circumstances on Thursday after officers discovered an unlawful substance on his 3-wood. The 2021 Masters champion was given his marching orders after it emerged white correction fluid used to assist heart the ball was used on the face of the membership. The infraction was delivered to the eye of guidelines officers after photographs of the doctored membership have been posted on social media. “Our committee grew to become conscious by means of some footage that have been posted that there could also be a substance that has been painted on the face of certainly one of Hideki’s golf equipment,” PGA Tour chief referee Steve Rintoul stated.
“Sadly, once we discovered about it, Hideki was taking part in the second gap.”
Rintoul stated Matsuyama was requested if he was carrying the membership and whether or not he had used it. A non-conforming membership might be carried in a golfer’s bag offered it’s not used.
Rintoul stated, nevertheless, that Matsuyama had acknowledged utilizing the membership off the primary tee because the event at Muirfield Village received underneath manner.
“The harm was finished,” Rintoul stated. “One shot and it is a disqualification.”
Rintoul stated that whereas minor markings reminiscent of a “Sharpie dot right here and there” that will not affect the flight of the ball, the quantity of whiteout on Matsuyama’s membership exceeded what was allowed.
“It was truly fairly thick on the face of the membership,” Rintoul added.
“A Sharpie dot — the tools requirements folks says a Sharpie dot is ok, it can’t affect the flight of a ball.
“However once you begin making use of that a lot materials, that may take spin off a ball or can have an effect on the flight, that is once they go to nonconforming.”
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