Hideki Matsuyama was disqualified from the Memorial Tournament during Thursday's opening round due to a marking on his club.
Matsuyama, one of the most popular bets this week, was 3-over par through the first nine holes, after which he was disqualified.
Hideki Matsuyama has been disqualified from the Memorial for a marking on his club.
It is the first DQ of his career. pic.twitter.com/nkVjAjzDjj
— GolfBet (@GolfBet) June 2, 2022
Matsuyama had a "white-out substance" on his club head. While some alignment assistance is allowed, such as a sharpie mark, the thick coating made it illegal.
A player is allowed to carry an illegal club like this, however they are not allowed to use it. Matsuyama used the club on the first tee and confirmed to tournament officials on the second hole.
Matsuyama was looking to rebound from a T60 at the PGA Championship. Before that, he finished third at the Byron Nelson.
How are Matsuyama Bets Graded?
While Matsuyama was off to a slow start, one of the best players in the world could've easily turned it around. However, the DQ cost him any chance of saving bettors.
Betting on Matsuyama to win the tournament will, of course, result in a loss. Bets in the placement market — top-5, top-20, top-40, etc. — will also be losses.
Any matchup against Matsuyama will be considered a loss as well.
It was also a big blow for daily fantasy sports players. In the biggest contest of the tournament on DraftKings — a $20 multi-entry with a $1.2 million prize pool — Matsuyama was in over 15% of lineups. That made him the 11th-most popular play.
He was part of the 6th-most duplicated lineup.
