Hideki Matsuyama disqualified from Memorial Tournament for illegal club

Hideki Matsuyama played just nine holes Thursday at the 2022 Memorial Tournament before he was disqualified from the tournament for using an illegal substance on the face of his 3-wood.

According to ESPN, the PGA Tour was informed of the potential violation when it was emailed a photo of Matsuyama's club that was posted on Instagram. PGA Tour chief referee Steve Rintoul then inspected the club, which Matsuyama used to tee off on the first hole, and determined that a "white correction fluid" was applied to its face to help the center the ball.

Matsuyama, 30, was allowed to continue playing while Rintoul conferred with United States Golf Association officials, but he was disqualified after finishing the front nine.

"A substance or any treatment can't be applied to the face of a club which could influence the flight of the ball, the spin, the loft of anything on the ball, how the ball performs," Rintoul said, via ESPN. 

"So, at that point it was how much of this substance is actually on the face of the club? And the pictures were damning. ... There was a lot of the white. It's very much like a whiteout you might use on a paper at home. A whiteout substance that was very much up on the face of the club which, really, it's very clear in equipment rules that's not allowed."

Matsuyama has won eight PGA Tour events, including the 2021 Masters and 2014 Memorial Tournament. He was three over par through nine holes Thursday after hitting a double-bogey on the second hole and a bogey on the sixth.