AUGUSTA, Ga. – Sitting next to the giant oak tree in front of the Augusta national club, Hideki Matsuyama stuffed a battery pack into his pocket, tied a cable around his green jacket and stuck an IFB in his right ear. It was 8:45 a.m. local time in Tokyo, and the newest master’s champion was about to go live.
For the past five hours, Matsuyama has survived a disturbing final round, won defending champion Dustin Johnson and raised his fists in a lustful celebration he would have liked to reserve for the 72nd hole, but which in a way, at the moment, does not feel good. Now was the time for his least favorite part to be a famous professional athlete: to talk about himself.
Interviewer Ryusuke Ito, a course reporter for the Tokyo Broadcasting System, was 6 meters away, masked and talking animatedly into his microphone. Color commentator Tommy Nakajima returned to the Tokyo studios, asking his own questions. During the 5-minute interview, Matsuyama bowed, smiled and laughed occasionally, but never answered for more than 30 seconds. When he finished, he expired audibly.
Matsuyama, 29, previously spoke of his desire to be a pioneer to serve as an inspiration to his countrymen. So, in his first interview after winning the Masters, what did he say?
What was he thinking?
How did he feel about being the first major male champion in Japan?
“He was working to keep things under control,” Ito said through an interpreter, “but it’s over the month. It’s definitely over the moon. ”
It was a fitting scene for a player whose skills are undeniable, but whose personal history is left unexplored or lost in translation for golf audiences outside of Asia.
What needed no further explanation on Sunday was how Matsuyama’s journey was fully researched here at Augusta National, which first invited him to the Masters more than a decade ago. In 2008, then-tournament president Billy Payne announced the formation of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, designed to bring together top amateurs in the region in hopes of creating the next generation of stars. By suspending an exemption in the Masters to the winner of the tournament, the hope was that the young amateur will eventually hold both trophies.
“Even today,” President Fred Ridley said during the trophy ceremony, with Matsuyama sitting behind him, “that hope has become a reality.”
Indeed, Matsuyama has been stamped for celebrity since winning her second annual AAFC in 2010 (and coming back the following year). Nobuhito Sato, a former Japanese player who became a commentator, remembered hitting balls with the then 18-year-old at the Japan Open that year. “I didn’t know anything about him,” Sato said via e-mail, “but he hit them so well, and his iron blows sounded different from the others.” Sato, a nine-time tournament winner, missed the cut that week; Matsuyama, still just an amateur, finished third. The gains soon followed, and it soon became apparent: the hopes of a mad nation in the gulf were set on Matsuyama’s broad back.
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Japan is slightly smaller than the state of California, but the country boasts about 2,500 courses – almost double the amount of any American state. Pro events feature hearty crowds. “The crowds in Japan are fanatical,” said Adam Scott. The nation produced a pair of major female champions – and the latest amateur national women’s champion Augusta, Tsubasa Kajitani – but never a men’s Grand Slam winner, despite the overall success of Isao Aoki (the first to win the PGA Tour), Jumbo Ozaki (94 Japan Tour wins) and Nakajima (former top 5 player in the world).
However, Matsuyama was always viewed through a different prism. “It was his confidence,” said Ryuji Imada, who became the third Japanese player to win the Tour in 2008. “He’s a big kid, compared to some of the other Japanese players who came out. It has 6 legs. He probably has 210 pounds. He hits her a ton. I haven’t really received this from a Japanese player in a while and you need that to be a modern player and physically compete with the other guys. ”
Eiko Oizumi, a freelance golf writer in Japan, said: “Because Hideki is the only Japanese player who has the chance to win major events around the world, the Japanese expect to win major competitions.”
But as his profile expanded and his world rankings rose, the shy child turned even deeper. Few details emerged about his interests, his motivations, his dreams. Every piece of information was valuable: as even in the time of Bryson DeChambeau, he is often the last to leave the range. How, while living in a tourist hub like Orlando, he frequents restaurant chains like IHOP and Waffle House. How, as a baseball enthusiast, he brought his glove to tournaments to play catch.
How Matsuyama got his first nerves
“He’s pretty shy, but still typical Japanese,” Sato said. “Many of us Japanese are like him. It takes time to know what he really is as a person. “Scott dined with Matsuyama and partnered with him in the Presidents’ Cup, but he still had little information about his personality:” It’s hard to sum up. In fact, he’s a pretty intense character, even if we don’t see it. He is obsessed with his game. ”
In the early 2010s, Matsuyama was a stark contrast to Ryo Ishikawa, who was a budding superstar and a media lover, the Japanese version of Rickie Fowler, with the colorful ensemble to start. At the same age as Matsuyama, Ishikawa was nicknamed “Prince Bashful” and regularly held a court with reporters; Matsuyama had pursed lips and, although he came to understand his professional obligations, he still feared the ones below. “He doesn’t really try to make everyone happy, which is what you have to do to be successful,” Imada said. “It simply came to our notice then. You can’t do everything. Each day, he will take over the practice to do an interview for 45 minutes. He has kept his blinds and is very focused. ”
It’s a common saying in the Japanese press that while Matsuyama doesn’t speak much English, well, he doesn’t speak much Japanese either. They have had a complex and complicated relationship with the superstar in recent years, and several reporters have said that it is more difficult to interview Matsuyama than any other player on the Tour. And so, even among the home media there is a lack of information around Matsuyama. Most famously, in 2017, they were shocked to learn that Matsuyama was not only married, but also had a child.
“People know he’s a great golfer – probably the best golfer in Japan ever,” Sato said. “But since they keep a lot of things a secret, a lot of people don’t know anything but that.”
Imagine the typical crushing of the press that accompanies Tiger Woods to tournaments – a crowd that will include dozens of print reporters, a series of TV reporters, and a crowd of cameramen. Matsuyama has a similar entourage, but with one essential difference: reporters are not pressed for time, needing to gather a few questions during limited availability. Knowing that they will be there for more than half an hour, some scholars even bring a chair. There are detailed questions.
“Media research is due to the fact that we have not yet had enough success in golf,” Imada said. “As a country, we love the bay, and if you’re good at it, we’ll take it into account. It’s a big deal. ”
Matsuyama acknowledged the awkward dynamic on Saturday night at the Masters, where he relied on a four-shot lead in three rounds. Due to travel restrictions related to COVID-19, only a few members of the media made their way to Augusta, instead of the usual 25. Asked if the spotlight was easier to handle this week, Matsuyama offered a window into his mind: “I’m not sure how to respond to this in a good way, but being in front of the press is still difficult. It’s not my favorite thing to do, sit down and answer questions. It was much less stressful for me and I enjoyed it this week. ”
Even if he is not a willing author of his own story, this week’s Matsuyama show will resonate for decades to come.
Coming into the Masters with few expectations after failing to fight all year, Matsuyama shot a new second and 30 on Saturday to take the lead. He has not won since August 2017, when he won at Firestone to climb to 2nd place in the world and then briefly took the lead on the new back at the PGA Championship before finishing two bogeys late. Meeting with the press later, he was so crushed that he buried his head in his hands and cried.
No wonder Matsuyama set his alarm clock at 9:30 in the morning, but woke up a few hours earlier, too nervous to sleep back. He arrived early for class and looked nervous on the opening hole as well, when a trek led to a bogey and, along with two birds from the beginning of Master Will Zalatoris, cut his lead with four strokes to an advantage. in one fell swoop, just 15 minutes into the tour.
But Matsuyama never gave up the lead, coming back with three birds and creating as much as a six-shot pillow on a day when none of the last six pairs broke 70. Xander Schauffele came last, shooting in two shots. after hole 15, but any dramatic tension was short-lived: the wind overturned Schauffele’s 8-iron in par-3 16 and found the water short, leading to a triple bogey. Matsuyama could afford to pass three of the last four holes and win another, 10 under 278.
“Man, it was something else,” Schauffele said afterwards. “He played like a winner who has to play. He was like a robot. ”
Schauffele had a unique perspective on Matsuyama’s triumph, with his maternal grandparents living in Japan. “No one really wants to talk about how much pressure there is on him,” he said. “But you look at the media watching him. You look at what he did in his career. He’s a top player with a ton of pressure on him, and that’s the hardest way to play. Congratulations to him and his team. I’m sure a lot of people have beers there. ”
Wearing his new green jacket for the first time, Matsuyama gave a typical short speech during the trophy presentation, saying in Japanese how honored he was to win at Augusta National and punctuating his remarks with a powerful “Thank you!” rocker who leaves the scene after a lively set, with his arms raised triumphantly.
He had a busy night before. A period of reflection with his team. A dinner with club members. More private celebrations later in the evening. But first, he headed to the flash area outside the club, where Ito and a captive audience were waiting to hear about the new Masters champion.
At the end of the interview, Matsuyama sent a direct message to his home country about how proud he was to represent them today. Then she untied her helmet, thanked Ito, and was escorted by a green jacket to her next engagement. He threw his head back, lightening it. There are only a few interviews left.