Japan hails ‘bright news’ of Matsuyama’s victory
The first man from country to win one of golf’s major titles
Japan sucked in its breath as Hideki Matsuyama almost blew his chance to win the Masters but the golfer’s oneshot victory at Augusta National sparked a joyous reaction back home as the country celebrated another sporting triumph in testing times.
Matsuyama, 29, became the first man from Japan to win one of golf’s major titles, a feat that drew praise from government and Olympic officials with the Tokyo Games just three months away.
Katsunobu Kato, Japan’s top government spokesperson, expressed “congratulations and respect from the heart” for Matsuyama’s “historic” win, which came as another ray of hope during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It is another bright piece of news of a Japanese athlete’s outstanding performance on the global stage under tough circumstances like training,” Kato told a regular news conference.
Kato pointed to tennis player Naomi Osaka ’ s win at the Australian Open and Shohei Ohtani’s outstanding performance both as a hitter and a batter this week in Major League Baseball as further evidence of Japan ’ s sporting success.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called Matsuyama ’ s win “wonderful” and a source of pride and courage for the Japanese people during the difficulties posed by
the pandemic. Matsuyama has started Sunday’s final round with a four-shot lead and looking a strong bet to join Hinako Shibuno and Chako Higuchi as Japanese major champions. Shibuno won the Women ’ s British Open in 2019 and Higuchi won the 1977 Women’s PGA Championship.
But Matsuyama’s march to win the coveted Green Jacket hit a speed bump on the par five 15th, where his approach shot went in the water behind the green.
He could only make bogey while playing partner Xander Schauffele birdied the hole, turning Matsuyama’s comfortable
four-shot cushion into a slender two-shot lead.
Schauffele’s triple-bogey at the next hole gave Matsuyama some breathing space and while he dropped two more strokes over the closing three holes it was enough for a oneshot win over Masters debutant Will Zalatoris.
Matsuyama’s win has prompted calls for him to be given the honour of lighting the Olympic Games cauldron at the opening ceremony in July.
“It would be quite an honour,” he said in a PGA Tour statement.
“But I’m not sure about my schedule.
“If the schedules worked out and I am in Japan when that happens and they ask me, what an honour that would be.”
Hidemasa Nakamura, the Games delivery officer for the Tokyo Olympics organising committee, told Reuters he stayed up late to watch Matsuyama.
“It was a nice encouragement because we would like to prepare for this summer in Tokyo so that such hard-working players can play an active role,” he said.
“Hopefully I will be a pioneer in this and many other Japanese [players] will follow,” Matsuyama said through an interpreter on the CBS broadcast as he was about to receive his green jacket inside Butler Cabin from 2020 champion Dustin Johnson.
“I’m glad to be able to open the floodgates, hopefully, and many more will be able to follow me.”
“My nerves didn ’ t really start on the second nine [holes], it was right from the start today and right to the very last putt,” Matsuyama said.
Matsuyama also drew praise from the US Embassy in Tokyo.
“Congratulations to Hideki Matsuyama for winning #TheMasters!
“We knew years ago that he was destined for greatness,” the embassy said in a tweet. —