'Controversial Golf Rule'... 'Matsuyama Disqualified for 3-Wood'

Memorial Tournament First Day Absurd Mistake

It was the first 'tear' on the professional stage.

This is the story of Hideki Matsuyama from Japan. It happened during the first round of the PGA Tour Memorial Tournament (total prize money of $12 million) held last June at Muirfield Village Golf Club (par 72) in Dublin, Ohio, USA.

Hideki Matsuyama was disqualified in the first round of the Memorial Tournament for using a No. 3 wood with a circle drawn on the club face.

The issue began when a large white circle drawn on the black face of Matsuyama's 3-wood was discovered on social media posts. After receiving the tip, the PGA Tour checked Matsuyama's 3-wood and disqualified him, stating that "the line protruding significantly from the grooves on the face surface could affect the club's performance." Matsuyama had drawn the circle on the face for alignment purposes to help hit the ball within the circle.

According to golf rule 4.1a(3), players must not deliberately change the performance of a club during a round or make a stroke with a club that has been intentionally altered. Having a non-conforming club in the golf bag is allowed, but using it during play is grounds for disqualification.

Matsuyama bowed his head, saying, "I expected it to help my shots visually," and admitted, "It is my fault for lacking knowledge about the rules." The host, the 'Living Legend' Jack Nicklaus from the USA, said, "It's very unfortunate," and added, "It may sound silly, but I also did not know that rule well."

Matsuyama is a proud Japanese golfer. He has amassed a total of 17 professional wins, including 8 PGA Tour victories, 3 DP World Tour wins, and 8 Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) wins. Notably, he made history in 2021 by becoming the first Asian player to win the prestigious Masters Tournament.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.