Chair-gate? Fan video reveals the noise that forced Hideki Matsuyama to back off tee shot before playoff disaster
It was a tough Sunday for Hideki Matsuyama. After holding on for dear life all day, fending off runs from the likes of Michael Thorbjornsen and Scottie Scheffler, the 2021 Masters champ was caught, and then passed, by Chris Gotterup on the first hole of a playoff at the WM Phoenix Open.
Matsuyama struggled with his driver throughout his final round, hitting just three fairways as Gotterup birdied five of his last six to force overtime. Matsuyama got away with it through 18 holes on Sunday, but 19 proved to be one too many. In a move reminiscent of vintage Tiger Woods, Matsuyama was forced to back off his tee shot on the first hole of the playoff when he heard a loud noise mid-swing.
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Matsuyama proceeded to yank his follow-up left, where it ricocheted off a pole and into the water. Soon after, Gotterup sank a 27-footer for birdie to clinch the 2026 WM Phoenix Open title, but fans were left wondering what the heck happened to Matsuyama on the 73rd—and most important—hole of the tournament. Thanks to this video from the gallery, we know now. Sound up.
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According to the OP who was standing right to next to the source of the noise, a Phoenix Open staffer dropped a chair right as Matsuyama reached the top of his swing. In a pre-Internet world, this would have turned into one of golf’s most enduring mysteries. What REALLY caused Matsuyama’s downfall that fateful day at TPC Scottsdale? Thanks to the magic of fiber optics, we no longer have to wonder what happened, but because of this little thing called sports betting, the why remains as murky as ever.
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The immutable law of Occam’s Razor suggests this is what it looks like: an accident. Then again, sportsbooks didn’t exist when ol’ William of Ockham was alive. The world hardly needs another conspiracy theory, so hopefully this is the last we hear of this unfortunate moment, but something tells us Chair-gate has only just begun …
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