In a bizarre decision, Japan’s pin-up golfer, Ryo Ishikawa has fallen foul of the Japan Tour and fined after sitting out two events in August and September.

The Japan PGA Tour fined their star player nearly $US 30,000 after the 19-year old withdrew from the Kansai Open Golf Championship that ended on the 21st August, and last week’s Toshin Golf tournament at Lake Wood.

And Ishikawa was fined despite producing doctor’s evidence of a sore shoulder as his reason for not competing.

Japanese pin-up golf star, Ryo Ishikawa.

Ishikawa is currently lying third on the Japan PGA Tour money list but is yet to win in 2011 after managing three seconds and a pair of third place results.

However injured shoulder or not, the Japan Tour took a serious view of Ishikawa missing the events.

“Rules are rules,” stressed Japan Tour CEO Andy Yamanaka.  “They are put in place to protect the tournaments. They are not rules only for Ryo.”

Yamanaka indicated the Japan Tour was conscious of Ishikawa’s enormous drawing power but would not make concessions.

“Ryo is a superstar but he is also one of 200 Japan Tour members and everyone plays under one set of rules. You should not change rules for one person,” added Yamanaka.

And Japan Tour Chairman , Tadashi Koizumi weighed in on the argument indicating the Tour would get tougher next year to try and prevent players suddenly withdrawing from events.

“We want the players to support the Japanese tournaments,” said Yamanaka.

“They can’t just pay money and take time off, so we want to amend the rulebook.

“Even if Ishikawa goes off and plays on the American PGA Tour he will still have to abide by our rules.”

Ishikawa later apologised and produced a doctor’s note to verify his injury.

“My left shoulder felt like it was about to dislocate,” he said.

“The doctor told me if I played on, it would develop into chronic inflammation so I made the tough decision to withdraw.”