AUGUSTA, Ga. Hideki Matsuyama stopped near the giant oak tree outside the Augusta National Clubhouse and stuffed a battery pack in his pocket, hung a cord around his green jacket and dipped an IFB in his right ear. It was 08:45 local time in Tokyo, and the latest Masters Champion was about to start.
For the past five hours, Matsuyama has survived a nerve-wracking final round, lifting defending champion Dustin Johnson and raising his fists in a voluptuous celebration he wanted to discuss for the 72nd hole, but which somehow somehow otherwise do not feel right. It was now time for his least favorite part of a famous professional athlete: to talk about himself.
Interviewer Ryusuke Ito, a reporter for the Tokyo Broadcasting System, was 6 meters away, masked and speaking animatedly into his microphone. Color commentator Tommy Nakajima was back in the Tokyo studios asking questions of his own. During the 5-minute interview, Matsuyama smiled and occasionally laughed, clasping his hands behind his back, but he never answered for more than 30 seconds. When he finished, he exhaled audibly.
Matsuyama, 29, has spoken before about wanting to be a pioneer and serve as an inspiration to his countrymen. So what did he say in his first interview after winning the Masters?
What does he think?
How did he feel about being the first champion for men in Japan?
“He was keeping things under control,” Ito said afterwards through an interpreter, “but he is past the moon. He’s definitely over the moon. ”
It was a fitting scene for a player whose talent is unmistakable, but whose personal background is left unexplored or lost in translation for the golf stream outside Asia.
What Sunday needed no further explanation was how much the title meant to him. As he stepped off the 18th green, Matsuyama had tears in his eyes as the CBS camera in Venice captured every step. His caddy, Shota Hayafuji, returned the pen, removed his hat and solemnly bowed in a show of respect.
“I can not even really explain it now,” Hayafuji said, still clinging to the rolled-up flag. “I think the feeling will come later.”
Matsuyama became a national hero when his journey here at Augusta National came full circle, making him an invitation to the Masters more than a decade ago. In 2008, the then chairman of the tournament, Billy Payne, announced the founding of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, designed to bring together the best amateurs from the region in hopes of creating the next generation of stars. By hanging a release in the Masters on the tournament winner, the hope was that the young amateur would eventually achieve both trophies.
“And today,” President Fred Ridley declared during the trophy ceremony, with Matsuyama behind him, “that hope has become a reality.”
Indeed, since its 2010 award, Matsuyama has been the second annual AAC (and reunited the following year) for its stars. Nobuhito Sato, a former player of the Japanese tournament, who commented, recalled that he hit the ball with the then 18-year-old at the Japan Open the same year. “I did not know anything about him,” Sato said by email, “but he hit them so well, and his iron shots sound different from the others.” Sato, a nine-time tour winner, missed the track that week; Matsuyama, still just an amateur, finished third. Victories soon followed, and before long it became clear: the hopes of a golf-mad nation were pinned 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 in any US state. Pro events feature crowds. “The crowd in Japan is fanatical,” Adam Scott said. The country has produced some major champions for women – and the latest Augusta National Women’s Champion, Tsubasa Kajitani – but never a Grand Slam winner for men, despite the worldwide success of Isao Aoki (first at the PGA Tour) ), Jumbo Ozaki (94 Japan Tour winner) and Nakajima (former top-5 player in the world).
However, Matsuyama has always been viewed by 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 other Japanese players who have come out. He is 6 feet. He’s probably 210 pounds. He beats it a ton. We really did not have it from a Japanese player for a while, and you need it to be a modern player and compete physically with the other guys. ‘
Eiko Oizumi, a freelance golf writer in Japan, said: “Because Hideki is the only Japanese player who has the potential to win the big events around the world, Japanese people expect him to win majors.” And the Masters was the ultimate prize.
But as Matsuyama’s profile expanded and his world rankings skyrocketed, the shy child turned even more inward. Few details came to light about his interests, his motivations, his dreams. Every little thing was precious: how even in the time of Bryson DeChambeau he is often the last to leave the series. While living in a tourist center like Orlando, he visits chain restaurants like IHOP and Waffle House. As an avid baseball fan, he brought his glove to tournaments to play catch.
How Matsuyama conquered his first nerves
“He’s quite shy, but typically Japanese,” Sato said. ‘Many of us Japanese are like him. It takes time to know what he really is like as a person. Scott ate with Matsuyama and competed in the President’s Cup with him, yet he had little insight into his personality: ‘It’s hard to sum up. He’s actually an intense character, even if we do not see it. He is obsessed with his game. ”
In the early 2010s, Matsuyama represented a stark contrast to Ryo Ishikawa, a budding superstar and media guy, the Japanese version of Rickie Fowler, with the colorful ensemble beginning. At the same age as Matsuyama, Ishikawa was called the “Bashful Prince” and he regularly held court with reporters. Matsuyama was cramped and although he understood his professional obligations, he still feared the debrief. “He doesn’t really put much effort into making everyone happy. That’s what you have to do to be successful,” Imada said. “You have to say no. You can not do everything. He will practice 45 minutes every day to conduct an interview. He keeps his eyes closed and is very focused. ”
It is a common refrain among the Japanese press that although Matsuyama does not speak much English, well, he does not speak much Japanese either. They have had a complicated and complicated relationship with the superstar over the past few years, and several reporters have said that it is more difficult to interview Matsuyama than any other player on Tour. Therefore, even among the home crowd there is a lack of information around Matsuyama. The most famous, in 2017, they were shocked to learn that he was not only married, but that he also had a child.
“People know he’s a great golfer – probably the best Japanese golfer ever,” Sato said. “But because he keeps many things secret, many people know nothing else.”
Imagine the typical media infatuation that accompanies Tiger Woods at tournaments – a crowd that will include a few dozen print reporters, a crowd of TV reporters and a crowd of cameramen. Matsuyama has a similar consequence, but with one important difference: the reporters are not on time and they have to push in a few questions within the limited availability. Knowing that they will be there for more than half an hour, some scribes even bring a chair. These are detailed interrogations.
“The media control, it’s because we’ve not had enough success in golf yet,” Imada said. ‘As a country we love golf, and if you’re good at it, we’re taking notice. This is a big deal. ”
Matsuyama acknowledged the uncomfortable dynamics Saturday night at the Masters, where he stabbed himself through three rounds to a four-stroke lead. Due to travel restrictions associated with COVID-19, only a few media people undertook the trip to Augusta, instead of the usual 25 or so. Asked if the spotlight is easier to deal with this week, Matsuyama offers a window into his mindset: ‘I do not know how to answer it in a good way, but it is still difficult to stand in front of the media. It’s not my favorite thing to stand up and answer questions. It was a lot less stressful for me, and I really enjoyed this week. ”
Even though he is not a willing writer of his own story, Matsuyama’s actions this week will still resonate.
Matsuyama entered the Masters with little expectation after not struggling all year, shooting a second nine-Saturday to take the lead. It was an incredible twist: he has not won since August 2017, when he danced at Firestone to climb to second place in the world and then shortly before to retain the back nine at the PGA Championship before finishing with two late closed. boegies. So crushed as he then met with the press, he buried his head in his hands and sobbed.
No wonder Matsuyama set his alarm for Sunday 9:30 a.m., but woke up hours earlier, too nervous to fall asleep again. He arrived at the track early and looked scurrying on the opening hole when a ride in the trees led to a thug and, along with two birdies from Masters rookie Will Zalatoris, his lead from four strokes to a one-stroke benefit cut. 15 minutes around.
But Matsuyama never gave up his lead; he hit back with three birdies and created as much as a six-pointer on a day when no one has broken 70 in the last six games. Xander Schauffele came closest to the late and pulled within two strokes to the 15th hole, but any dramatic tension was short-lived: the wind turned on Schauffele’s 8-iron in the par-3 16th and he found the water short. Matsuyama can afford to force three of the last four holes and still win by one, at 10 under 278.
“Man, he was something else,” Schauffele said afterwards. “He played like a winner should play. He was like a robot. ‘
Schauffele had a unique perspective on Matsuyama’s triumph because his grandparents lived in Japan. “Nobody really wants to talk about how much pressure is on him,” he said. “But you look at the media that follows him. You look at what he has done in his career. He’s a player with the best position with a lot of pressure on him, and that’s the hardest way to play. So big kudus for him and his team. I’m sure a lot of people there drink a few beers. ”
With his new green jacket for the first time, Matsuyama gave a typical short speech during the trophy presentation and said in Japanese how honest he was to win at Augusta National and his remarks with a loud ‘thank you!’ the stage to a live set, holds his arms triumphantly high.
He presented a busy night. A time of reflection with his team. A dinner with club members. More private celebrations later in the evening. But first he went to the flash area outside the clubhouse, where Ito and a captive audience waited to hear from the new Masters Champion.
At the end of the interview, Matsuyama brought a message directly to his home region about how proud he was to be able to represent them today. Then he pulls off his earpiece, thanks Ito and is escorted by a green jacket to his next engagement. He threw his head back, relief washing over him. Only a few more interviews remained.