Matsuyama hopeful row can be settled

Japan’s world No 5 Hideki Matsuyama is still hoping a sexism dispute won’t spell the end of Kasumigaseki Country Club as the venue for the 2020 Olympic golf competition.

Matsuyama didn’t wade into the thorny debate, sparked when Tokyo’s female governor, Yuriko Koike, said she felt “uncomfortable” with the idea that women couldn’t become full members of the club — a fact that has also prompted concerns from the International Olympic Committee.

Amid calls to move the Olympic tournament, Matsuyama said he hoped that wouldn’t prove necessary.

“There are some membership questions right now, but I played well there at Kasumigaseki, won the Japan Junior there, the Asian Amateur,” Matsuyama said on Tuesday as he prepared for Thursday’s start of the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club in California.

“When I won there, that’s kind of what made it all possible, why I’m sitting here today,” he said. “So I hope they get things worked out and I hope Kasumigaseki will be the site of the Tokyo Olympic golf competition.”

Matsuyama will tee it up on Thursday with a chance to rise from fifth in the world rankings to No 1. He’d need a victory, and even then it would depend on where current world No 1 Jason Day finishes.

He’ll be playing for the first time since retaining his Phoenix Open title a fortnight ago with a playoff victory over former US Open champion Webb Simpson.

It was Matsuyama’s fifth victory in his last nine starts.