Even before Masters win, Matsuyama was pioneer
Latest champion grateful for Augusta’s efforts to attract more Asian golfers
The idea was to create golfing heroes, not necessarily a Masters champion.
Hideki Matsuyama is now both. “I owe a deep debt of gratitude to the members of Augusta National,” Matsuyama said on the night before he became Japan’s first Masters champion. “Because I wouldn’t be here today without them.”
The seed was planted in February 2009, when Tiger Woods was a major champion for the fourth straight year and players from all but one continent where golf is played were represented among the top 15 in the world ranking. The exception was Asia.
Billy Payne, chairman of Augusta National at the time, flew to Hong Kong with then-r&a chief Peter Dawson to announce a new tournament — the Asia-pacific Amateur — for amateurs across a region they felt was teeming with potential.
They wanted to use the powerful brand of the Masters and the heritage of the British Open to make golf more appealing to the next generation.
Matsuyama played the second edition of the Asia-pacific Amateur in 2010 at Kasumigaseki Country Club about an hour outside Tokyo, the host course of the Olympics this year. He won by five shots.
Also in the field that year was Satoshi Kodaira, who won the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head seven years later. Three other players that week eventually earned PGA Tour cards.
Matsuyama first appeared in Butler Cabin as low amateur in his Masters debut 10 years ago. Then, he won the Asia-pacific again by one shot — Cameron Smith of Australia, a Masters runner-up last year, tied for fourth.
“When I played in my first Masters Tournament as an amateur and made the cut, I felt for the first time that I could compete on the world stage,” Matsuyama said in a 2015 email interview. “I decided right there at Augusta National that golf would be my lifelong career.”
That was the starting point for Matsuyama becoming an inspiration, if not a golfing hero, for Japan and perhaps other Asian countries. And now he’s a Masters champion.
“Hopefully, I’ll be a pioneer in this and many other Japanese will follow,” Matsuyama said during his second Sunday visit to Butler Cabin, this time as the Masters champion. “I’m glad to be able to open the floodgates hopefully, and many more will follow me.”
The inspiration began before he slipped his arms into a green jacket.
Following him is Takumi Kanaya, who lists his favorite players as Woods and Matsuyama. He already has cut a path similar to Matsuyama. Both went to Tohoku Fukushi University. Both won on the Japan Golf Tour as an amateur. And both won the Asiapacific Amateur.
Matsuyama was among the first to call after Kanaya won the Asia-pacific by going 64-65 on the weekend at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore. He has been a mentor. Kanaya said after winning the Taiheiyo Masters in 2019, “Hideki told me to win at professional tournaments. I am so glad that I could report him great news.”
Matsuyama won the Japan Golf Tour money title as a rookie. He came straight over to the PGA Tour and won for the first time at the Memorial, prompting tournament host Jack Nicklaus to say, “I just think you’ve just seen the start of what’s going to be truly one of your world’s great players over the next 10 to 15 years.”
One tradition for the Masters champion in the hours after his victory is to meet with the Augusta National members and share a toast. According to those in the room Sunday night as Matsuyama greeted them in his green jacket, Payne was close to tears.