When we talk about the Sony Open, two Japanese golfers to pop in mind are Isao Aoki and Hideki Matsuyama. And one of the pros is back at the Waialae Country Club after winning the very first event of 2025. We are talking about Hideki Matsuyama. This time, however, he’s caught the eyes of viewers for something that golfers want to avoid at all cost. What was it?

The Japanese star is back in action after claiming his 11th Tour win at the Sentry. In fact, he did it in style by breaking the all-time PGA Tour record for the lowest under-par score. Matsuyama carded a 35 under par and took home $3,600,000. But it seems like his Sony Open is not going as smoothly as his first 2025 event.

After playing his first eight holes in level par, Hideki Matsuyama thrashed away at his tee shot down the scorable par-5 9th. After the first eight holes in level par, he approached the par-5 9th with a bit of aggression. He went after his tee shot, but almost immediately ended up regretting it. The reason? His Srixon driver took an unexpected flight, ending up in a group of viewers to the left of the tee box.

Realizing what had happened, Matsuyama sprang into action, jogging over to the fans to apologize for what had happened unintentionally. Thankfully, the golf fan who got caught in the crossfire was just fine! But it looks like the online fans were not that fine. The incident was reposted by Nuclear Golf, where golf fans had a harsh reaction towards the PGA Tour pro.

Fans angry on Hideki Matsuyama for not swinging carefully

Although Hideki Matsuyama did not throw his driver at the fans intentionally, it made some question his swinging capabilities. As the post went viral over X, fans were desperate for a fine over the pro. One X user commented, “35 under and can’t hang onto a club. This club throwing is total BS drama, and they should be fined for it,” defaming his first 2025 win at the Sentry.

Another fan chimed in, “1941 all over again.” There was a similar incident when a Dustin Johnson golf ball hit a fan back in 2021. Although it was not the first time someone got hit by a golf ball on the field, it was still very risky, just like Hideki Matsuyama’s mishap in Hawaii this week.

Some fans were so angry that they demanded immediate elimination. A fan said, “Suspend him immediately.” While other enthusiasts said Matsuyama “is annoying.” Among all these harsh comments, there was one golfing enthusiast who lightened the tension by posting a hilarious comment.

He wrote, “The fan should get to keep it.” Matsuyama uses a Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS of 9.5 degrees, which costs somewhere in the vicinity of $349.99. Honestly, even if the fan did not get hurt, don’t you think that would be the greatest reward for the fan? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.