{"id":418889,"date":"2026-02-10T23:52:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T23:52:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/418889\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T23:52:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T23:52:14","slug":"pga-tour-member-criticises-the-losers-who-tried-to-distract-hideki-matsuyama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/418889\/","title":{"rendered":"PGA Tour member criticises the “losers” who tried to distract Hideki Matsuyama"},"content":{"rendered":"

PGA Tour golfer Michael Kim says he feels for Hideki Matsuyama after a group of “losers” tried to distract the former Masters champion at the WM Phoenix Open<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Matsuyama had the tournament in his hands at TPC Scottsdale on Sunday and needed only a par on the 72nd hole at TPC Scottsdale to claim his 12th PGA Tour<\/a> title.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Instead, he made a devastating bogey after making a complete hash of the 18th.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His tee shot went way left and found the church few bunkers. From there, clattered his approach into the lip of the bunker. \u00a0<\/p>\n

An average pitch from 50 yards left him with a 24-foot putt for the win but he missed it low and he dropped into a play-off with America’s Chris Gotterup.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Matsuyama was even forced to step away from his crucial par putt in regulation on the 18th green after a spectator shouted just as he was about to make his stroke.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGet in the hole!\u201d <\/p>\n

Hideki Matsuyama faced an early shout from a fan on his putt to try and win The Waste Management Phoenix Open, prompting him to back off. <\/p>\n

What should the penalty be for this?
pic.twitter.com\/9XQ2ip0KkM<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) February 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Minutes later, he stepped off his tee shot on the first play-off hole after it appeared the same thing happened again.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Matsuyama displayed “shades of Tiger<\/a>” by managing to stop on his downswing, according to CBS golf analyst Trevor Immelman.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Once again, Matsuyama’s tee shot went left but this time it found the water.<\/p>\n

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It has now emerged that a tournament member of staff dropped a chair just as he reached the top of his backswing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Watch the moment here:<\/p>\n

Still, PGA Tour member Kim, who finished in a share of 18th at the WM Phoenix Open, was unimpressed by what he saw.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On X, Kim wrote<\/a>: “There’s always the few idiots that make everyone else look bad.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I feel for Hideki having to deal with those losers that were yelling. I dealt with a couple also.<\/p>\n

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“The Thunderbirds and the staff have really tried to make things better (and have) but you cant control everyone out of 100k people.”<\/p>\n

Gotterup, who started the final round four strokes behind Matsuyama, went on to win his fourth PGA Tour title in Phoenix.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When asked how he stayed focussed during the closing stages, he said: “You know, it’s a good thing that there’s so many people.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“You hear it but you have so much going through your brain, it’s almost like white noise.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I think on the tee box a chair fell. Of course that happens in the play-off.<\/p>\n

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“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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Let alone trying to win a tournament and then also having people line the fairways, it just makes it that much more difficult.<\/p>\n

“But I felt like I was focused on what I was doing.”<\/p>\n

For his part, Matsuyama admitted he was disappointed not to win in regulation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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But he didn’t complain about being distracted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Didn’t have my best stuff, but hung in there,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“So hats off to him.”<\/p>\n

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