Hideki Matsuyama Disqualified: Why did Matsuyama get disqualified from golf?

Japanese professional golfer, Hideki Matsuyama was disqualified from the Memorial Tournament or markings on his three-wood on Thursday [June 2, 2022] first round. He was reportedly told after finishing the ninth hole that his equipment was in breach of PGA Tour regulations.

According to Senior Tournament Director of the PGA Tour, Steve Rintoul, images of the club were seen online and his team got to know after Hideki Matsuyama had used it on the first tee.

“Unfortunately, our committee learned right after Hideki had teed off that he may be carrying a club that would be non-conforming. There is a substance that has been applied to the face by a gentleman that works in Hideki’s clubs. Rule 4a(3) within the equipment rules speaks to applying a substance to the face could unduly affect the performance of a ball; the flight, the spin, all the performance of the ball. Those markings were placed there by his club guy to help with alignment. Assistance with alignment by placing a small Sharpie mark on the face or small Sharpie line on the face is certainly. But what was done there with that substance which is very much like a whiteout substance  we would use at home, was coating that was not only in the grooves but was very thick along the face, and now he’s applied a substance to the face, which renders the club non-conforming,” he said.