Hideki Matsuyama controversy after £500k blow as new employees member footage sparks backlash
PGA star Hideki Matsuyama stopped his swing on the tee during the play-off at the Phoenix Open after a noise in the crowd, and further video footage of the incident has since emerged
Hideki Matsuyama lost the play-off at the Phoenix Open(Image: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Video footage has surfaced capturing the moment a noise in the crowd emerged that forced Hideki Matsuyama to stop his swing during the play-off at the Phoenix Open. Matsuyama finished the PGA Tour event in Arizona at 16-under-par, level with Chris Gotterup, forcing a play-off at TPC Scottsdale.
Matsuyama was preparing to tee off on the play-off hole when he stopped his swing just as he was poised to hit the ball. The interruption stemmed from a noise in the crowd, which occurred precisely as Matsuyama was starting his downswing from the tee.
Following the disruption, Matsuyama’s subsequent tee shot found the water, allowing Gotterup to claim victory on the play-off hole and win the Phoenix Open crown.
Reports later surfaced regarding the origin of the noise, with Golf Digest reporting that a Phoenix Open staff member had accidentally knocked over a chair during Matsuyama’s downswing.
Social media footage taken from spectators shows Matsuyama on the tee for the play-off, with the noise occurring just as the 33-year-old was beginning his downswing before he suddenly stopped to locate the source of the disturbance.
Additional controversy had unfolded earlier in the day when another noise disrupted Matsuyama as he lined up a putt on the 18th green that could have secured him the Arizona title.
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Ultimately, Matsuyama failed to sink the putt, forcing the tournament into a play-off.
Gotterup claimed victory in the play-off with a birdie putt, ending Matsuyama’s hopes of winning the Phoenix Open for a third time across his career.
Victory in the play-off would have netted Matsuyama £1.26million ($1.73 million) in prize money. Instead, the Japanese golf star had to settle for £766,000 ($1.046million) after finishing as runner-up at TPC Scottsdale, and means he missed out on almost £500k more.
“Yeah, it’s disappointing, shock,” Matsuyama told reporters, through an interpreter, via Golf Channel.
“Was grinding all weekend,” Matsuyama added. “Didn’t have my best stuff, but hung in there. I wanted to avoid the playoff as much as I could, but I just hit a bad tee shot there in regulation at 18, and Chris made a good putt there in the playoff, so hats off to him.”
The triumph represents Gotterup’s second PGA Tour victory this season, achieved in just three tournaments. His previous win came at the season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii.
Gotterup also shared his thoughts on the atmosphere at TPC Scottsdale, including the incident where Matsuyama halted his swing on the tee of the play-off hole.
“You know, it’s a good thing that there’s so many people,” Gotterup said, via Golf Channel. “You hear it, but you have so much going through your brain, it’s almost like white noise.
“Obviously, I think on the tee box a chair fell. Of course that happens in the playoff. But it’s just a crazy atmosphere, and you just have to embrace it this week, and I felt like I did a good job of that.
“Let alone trying to win a tournament and then also having people line the fairways, it just makes it that much more difficult. But I felt like I was focused on what I was doing.”
