[PHOTO: Orlando Ramirez]
Sometimes the less you know about something the better. And if that’s true, Hideki Matsuyama will set records at his TGL debut next week.
The major winner, recent Sentry victor and always fun quote will be teeing off for Rory McIlroy’s Boston Common squad next Monday for the first time and it looks like he’ll be as ready for what’s to come as any Average Joe off the street. Of course, any Average Joe isn’t an 11-time PGA Tour winner with a booming drive and a sparkling iron game, but Matsuyama will be learning the ropes in real time. Which can hopefully lead to some pretty fun TV.
“I watched the opener maybe for 10-15 minutes,” Matsuyama admitted heading into the Genesis Invitational. “I still haven’t visited the arena, so there’s lots of things I need to study, but I’m really looking forward to playing next week.”
That’s a bold admission as the league’s state-of-the-art venue cost $US50 million to build and Matsuyama’s debut will be part of an American holiday triple-header with a lot of extra eyes. And yet, if you’re good enough to win the Masters, you can probably make things work on a simulator… even with 600-or-so seconds of prior knowledge.
🚨 Only one man can save Boston! https://t.co/NWSpDLcB4O pic.twitter.com/j3Ox50Chk9
— Hideki Matsuyama Tracker (@TrackingHideki) February 5, 2025
Before he starts thinking about the TGL, Matsuyama’s focus is on repeating at the Genesis and figuring out Torrey Pines. The 32-year-old won last season’s Tiger Woods-hosted event with a closing nine-under 62, fighting back over the last 18 holes with three separate streaks of three straight birdies. That’d look pretty damn good on a simulator!
Matsuyama is also hoping to take another photo with Woods this Sunday, which would be some pretty good ‘juju’ heading into his debut in the fledgling league: “I’ve heard some rumour that Tiger might be here this Sunday, so hopefully I get that trophy and get that picture with him this week.”
