Hideki Matsuyama’s Masters triumph in April gave the golf-loving country of Japan its first-ever men’s Major title. And the 29-year-old joined Y.E. Yang as the only Asian-born male players to win a Major.
Though Matsuyama has been one of the best players in the world for a while, becoming a Masters champion vaulted him into higher echelons of the game. Here are a few things you might not know about the Japanese star.
1. His father introduced him to the game at age 4. Golf was something Matsuyama quickly took to. By the time he reached high school in Japan, he had moved to have better access to facilities to practise.
2. Matsuyama won the Asia-Pacific Amateur in 2010 to earn an invitation to the Masters, but he almost did not travel to Augusta in 2011. After a deadly earthquake devastated the Japanese city of Sendai a month before the 2011 Masters, Matsuyama considered not playing. He was a student at Tohoku Fukushi University, and though he was in Australia at the time of the quake, he returned to his dormitory to see it destroyed. He did go and play, becoming the first Japanese amateur to compete at Augusta, and would go on to earn leading-am honours.
3. The same course where he won the Asia-Pacific Amateur in 2010, Kasumigaseki Country Club, is the host venue for golf in the 2021 Summer Olympics. Nick Faldo even speculated that Matsuyama would be a torch-bearer for his home country. When Matsuyama was asked after his Masters win, he said: “It’d be quite an honour if I am in Japan when that happens, and they ask me.”
4. Matsuyama is so reserved that he did not reveal to the public that he was married until he announced the birth of his daughter, Kanna, in 2017. When asked why he never mentioned his wife, Mei, he said: “No one really asked me [if I was married], so I didn’t have to answer that question. But I felt that after the [2017 PGA] would be a good time, because our baby was born and I thought that would be a good time to let everyone know.” Even among the Japanese golf media – who follow his every move – the common refrain is that though Hideki doesn’t speak much English, he speaks even less Japanese.
5. As you might’ve seen during the Masters ceremony in Butler Cabin, Matsuyama uses an interpreter for interviews. His English is reportedly OK, but he’s used Bob Turner, an interpreter who has also worked for Tiger Woods and Adam Scott on their trips to Japan, for all interviews. And when he goes out to dinner with other players, Turner will help translate for him.
6. Hideki hired a swing instructor for the first time in his career last December. He started working with Hidenori Mezawa, and among the things he’s working on with Hideki is getting away from that pause at the top of his swing.
7. ESPN’s Andy North estimated that Matsuyama’s win could be worth close to $1 billion in ancillary income. “I think Hideki could compare to Ichiro and Sadaharo Oh,” Nobuhito Sato, a board member of the Japanese Tour, told Australian Golf Digest in reference to the baseball stars.
Quick Five with Hideki
Tell us about your overall feeling when you became Masters champion. “Actually, it didn’t really hit me that I had won until I came home to Japan and saw all the news reporters talking about me. That is when I started to realise I had just won the Masters. It’s just a great and wonderful feeling.”
How would you say your Srixon ZX5 driver performed for you on the biggest stage of all? “At Augusta National, not only did my ZX5 driver give me great distance off the tee, but it also allowed me to control my golf ball on various shots. The shape and overall look of the head gives me total confidence every time I step up to the tee. It is very easy to control, and I like the added distance. It really is the best driver ever!”
What do you like the most about your Srixon Z-Forged irons? “They look great at address and I love their versatility to control shots.”
What about your ball? How did the Srixon Z-Star XV help you capture your first Major victory? “Without the Z-Star XV, I don’t think I would have been able to get through some tough situations, especially around the greens. I just love the sound this ball makes when I’m putting – that’s the most important thing for me when choosing which golf ball to play.”
You’ve been with Srixon for a long time. Tell us about your relationship with the company. “They have been my sponsors since I was an amateur and have continued to support me through both my tough and good times. I can’t thank Srixon enough.”
Feature image by Getty images: Sam Greenwood
