Hideki Matsuyama won the Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday to become the first player from Japan to claim a major men’s championship.
Matsuyama finished one strike ahead of American rookie Will Zalatoris after carding four birdies and five bogies for a final round score of 73 and 10 under for the four days.
He started the final round 11 under par with a four stroke lead over four golfers – England’s Justin Rose, Australia’s Marc Leishman and Americans Xander Schauffele and Zalatoris.
Matsuyama survived some late slip-ups and a determined challenge in the back nine of Schauffele, who finished 7-under, to dramatically claim the iconic green jacket.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama responds after winning the Masters tournament on April 11, 2021 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Matsuyama became the first player from Japan to claim the men’s main championship. (Kyodo) == Kyodo
The 27-year-old Schauffele carded four consecutive birdies before his challenge ended with a triple-bogey on the par-3 16th.
“I felt nervous from the start of the day to the end,” said Matsuyama. “I was thinking about (my family) all the time. I’m really happy that I was able to play well for them.”
Matsuyama recovered from a bogey opening the hole with birdies on the second, eighth and ninth. He extended his lead to six shots on the back nine, but left the door open for Schauffele when he hit the water and went on the green in half on the par-5 15th.
After Schauffele’s fourth consecutive birdie, the lead was reduced to two shots with three to play, but the American’s nightmare on the 16th hole pretty much led to 29-year-old Matsuyama’s victory.
Matsuyama landed in the bunker on 18th, but slammed his way onto the green to give himself two putts to win the title in his 10th appearance at the tournament.
“Until last week I wasn’t even in the top 10 (on the tour) or competed for a title this year. I had no expectations, but in Wednesday’s practice my photos started to feel good again and I started to follow I might have a chance, “Matsuyama said.
The resident of Ehime prefecture on Shikoku Island said he hoped to lead the way for other Japanese golfers to win majors.
Hideki Matsuyama (R) of Japan hails his caddy on the 18th green after Matsuyama won the Masters tournament on April 11, 2021 at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Matsuyama became the first player from Japan to claim the men’s main championship. (Kyodo) == Kyodo
“Hopefully I will become a pioneer and many other Japanese will follow,” he said.
“I’ll be very happy if my win here inspires kids watching on TV to get to this stage and compete against me in five or ten years’ time. That’s why I want to keep winning.”
The 24-year-old Zalatoris, who played two groups for Matsuyama, offered to become the first player since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 to win the Masters on his debut.
He birdchecked two of his last four holes to card a final round of 70 and missed a play-off with Matsuyama by a single hit.
Tiger Woods, a five-time green jacket winner, was one of the greatest golfers to congratulate Matsuyama on his win.
In a Twitter post, Woods acknowledged the significance of the result for both Matsuyama’s homeland and the golf world.
“Making Japan proud of Hideki. Congratulations on such a tremendous achievement for you and your country. This historic (Masters) win will impact the entire golf world,” Woods tweeted.
Making Japan proud of Hideki. Congratulations on such a tremendous achievement for you and your country. This historical @The masters The win affects the entire golf world.
– Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 11, 2021
Japan Golf Tour Chairman Isao Aoki, a longtime member of the PGA Tour, praised Matsuyama for his hard work, saying that the win was a dream come true for Japanese golf fans.
“Every golf fan in the country has waited a long time for this moment. It must have taken blood, sweat and tears to become Masters champion. I hope he will continue with such heart, patience and skill,” said Aoki.
Yasuhiko Abe, who coached golfer Hideki Matsuyama during his Tohoku Fukushi University years, will hold special editions of newspapers featuring Matsuyama’s Masters win while speaking at a press conference in Sendai, northeastern Japan, April 12, 2021. (Kyodo) == Kyodo
Matsuyama is the second Asian country golfer to achieve a Men’s Major, following South Korean YE Yang’s 2009 PGA Championship win.
A five-time winner of the PGA Tour and eight-time winner of the Japan Golf Tour, Matsuyama made his Masters debut as an amateur ten years ago. Just weeks after his university town of Sendai was hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster, Matsuyama finished tied for 27th as the tournament’s low-scoring amateur.
Hideki Matsuyama of Japan delivers a speech after winning the Masters tournament on April 11, 2021 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. (Kyodo) == Kyodo
Two women from Japan have won majors: Hisako Higuchi at the 1977 LPGA Championship and Hinako Shibuno at the 2019 Women’s British Open.
Matsuyama’s win completes a promising two-week period for Japanese golfers at the iconic club, after fellow countryman Tsubasa Kajitani won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship there on April 3.
Looking forward, Matsuyama is looking to win a gold medal for Japan at home this summer at the Tokyo Olympics, which have been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“If (the Olympics) are held, I want to aim for gold. I think my experience today will serve me well for that purpose,” he said.
Related coverage:
Golf: Hideki Matsuyama leads Masters by 4 strokes after 3rd round 65
Golf: Tiger Woods congratulates triumphant Japanese teenager Kajitani