Matt Fitzpatrick (and Scottie Scheffler) lose it with PGA Tour rules official over 'cracked' driver
'Absolute disgrace' Matt Fitzpatrick was fuming with a PGA Tour rules official after he was not able to change his driver, which he deemed had a clear crack in the face.
Matt Fitzpatrick was left seething with a PGA Tour rules official after he was unable to replace his Titleist driver that he deemed to have a crack in the face during the final round of the BMW Championship.
Under the USGA’s Model Local Rule G-9, a club is not replaceable solely because of a crack.
Fitzpatrick, 29, was therefore not permitted to replace it at the time due to lack of significant damage.
The Englishman was fuming with the decision.
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So was his playing partner and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler.
"It's an absolute disgrace," said an irate Fitzpatrick as he trudged down the 8th fairway.
After making bogey on the par-5 8th, Fitzpatrick told the rules official he would 'make sure something is done after the round because it's a joke'.
The 2022 US Open champion unscrewed his driver head from the shaft on the 9th tee and he would go on to play with 13 clubs, using a 3-wood as his top club for the rest of the final round.
Fitzpatrick finished well down the leaderboard and missed out on qualifying for next week's FedEx Cup finale at the Tour Championship.
Scroll below to watch what happened...
Here's how the conversation played out between the rules official, Fitzpatrick and Scheffler...
Fitzpatrick: "It's caved in. There's an obvious crack there that's causing a defect of ball flight."
Rules Official: "We have said no.."
Fitzpatrick: "So I'm going to have to use 3-wood for the rest of the day? That's what you're telling me?"
Rules Official: "I'm going to talk to Steven who is the chief referee, and I'll meet you on the tee."
Fitzpatrick: "This is outrageous, it's an absolute disgrace. I've literally just watched a ball do a completely different thing from the whole morning. It couldn't be more obvious..."
Rules Official: "But that's not part of the local rule, to be able to change the driver."
Fitzpatrick: "Yeah I understand the rule, but at the end of the day, it's your opinion. It's opinion, not fact."
Rules Official: "But the local rule says 'significant damage'."
Fitzpatrick: "But again, that's your opinion of that. The fact is there is literally a crack in the driver that is causing the ball to fly funny. That's a fact."
Scheffler: "You can feel the crack. The damage to the club is making the club not perform."
Fitzpatrick: "You can't deny that."
Scheffler' "It's been damaged throughout the course of play. That's the first shot offline he's hit all day and it carried about 80 yards shorter."
Fitzpatrick went on to bogey the hole.
He trudged off the green and was then informed by the rules official that he would be unable to replace his driver.
Fitzpatrick told the referee: "It's an absolute joke."
He added: "I will make sure something is done after the round because it's a joke. It's the most obvious crack I've ever seen."
Scheffler then continued to fight Fitzpatrick's case to the rules official.
The rules official concluded to Scheffler: "We're applying the rule that is written, Scottie".
The rule in question is 4.1.
"A player is allowed to keep using and / or to repair any club damaged during the round no matter what the damage is and even if the player damages it in anger. A player is allowed to replace a damaged club except when it's damaged during the round by any outside influence or natural forces or by someone other than the player."
Learn more about the rule here.
