The full story behind Hideki Matsuyama’s debated WM Phoenix Open play-off moment

After Gotterup unleashed a 350-yard drive right down the middle, all eyes turned to Matsuyama.

The 2021 Masters winner stepped up, started his swing, and then stopped mid-way, a move reminiscent of Tiger Woods in his prime.

There was some clear noise behind the tee box and Matsuyama seemed thrown off by it.

Most people assumed it was just a fan yelling out at him. But as it turns out, that was not the case.

Golf writer Gabby Herzig took to social media later that day to set the record straight about what really happened at TPC Scottsdale.

She explained: “Wow. Sounds like what distracted Hideki this time was a security person accidentally dropping a chair right as he started his backswing.

“It basically sounded like metal hitting concrete. Not pleasant.”

It is really reassuring that the incident at the Phoenix Open involving Matsuyama was not a deliberate act of sabotage by a fan.

What really caused Hideki Matsuyama’s struggles at the WM Phoenix Open?

While Matsuyama was strong in most areas of his game, there was one category where he struggled throughout the week.

He ranked second in both strokes gained approach and around the greens, third in putting, and tied for first in overall strokes gained.

But his driving let him down over the four days at TPC Scottsdale.

Matsuyama finished 70th in strokes gained off the tee, losing more than 4.8 shots to the field.

If he is aiming to win bigger events this season, addressing those issues off the tee will be crucial.

If Matsuyama can get his driving back on track, there is no reason he cannot put pressure on Scottie Scheffler this year. The rest of his game is already at that level.