Rivals fear presence of Invisible Man Matsuyama
HE IS Japan’s rising son, one of the hottest golfers on the planet, but rarely can a player who is ranked second in the world have flown as far under the radar as Hideki Matsuyama going into the 146th Open.
While all eyes have been focused on the usual title suspects this week, the four-times PGA Tour winner has performed a more-than-passable impersonation of the Invisible Man.
Matsuyama, 25, is not helped by the fact his English is less than fluent. However, his recent record proves beyond doubt that his Claret Jug credentials are as good as anyone’s.
“The way he stalks his shots and putts, his demeanour going into each shot, there’s supreme focus there,” two-times Major winner Jordan Spieth said of Matsuyama after finishing a shot behind him at the 2014 Dunlop Phoenix event in Japan.
“A lot of times you see guys get lazy stepping into shots. You don’t see that from him.”
Matsuyama, who teed off here this morning, made everyone in world golf sit up and take notice when he ended the 2016 season with a flourish. He won the Japan Open, the Taiheiyo Masters and the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas — and also became the first Asian to land a World Golf Champion- ship victory when he sprinted to a seven-stroke triumph at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
The former world amateur No1 then made a successful defence of his Phoenix Open crown in Arizona in February and, by finishing joint second at last month’s US Open, he rose to second in the world, the best position ever achieved by a Japanese golfer.
Although as far as Matsuyama is concerned, his eye-catching record pales into insignificance when compared to his compatriot, Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki. Ozaki amassed more than 110 career wins, his final Japanese Tour victory coming in 2002 at the age of 55, and spent almost 200 weeks in the top 10 of the world rankings.
“Jumbo won a hundred times so, unless I win a hundred times, I wouldn’t be greater than Jumbo,” said Matsuyama after his Hero World Challenge victory in December.
As for his English, Matsuyama says he is working on it, telling the Guardian that he has a responsibility to promote his sport.
“I understand more than I can speak and it is about the finding the confidence to do it,” he says. “It is very nerve-racking speaking in a different language on camera or to a big audience of journalists.”
One of the most notable aspects of Matsuyama’s game is the trademark pause he has developed at the top of his backswing — but that is not the only thing he has got going for him, according to Rory McIlroy.
“When you look at what he has achieved, it is impressive how he goes about his business,” said the Northern Irishman.
“He is a very hard worker and any time you are on the practice range he always seems to be there and it is the same scenario when you are on the practice putting green.
“The thing I also like about Hideki is that he is aggressive, as you only have to look at some of the shots he hits and the pins he will take on.”