This week’s Golf Legends series profiles Japanese superstar, Hideki Matsuyama.
Before placing a bet on him at the top sportsbooks, let’s examine his career more closely.
How Did It Begin?
Hideki Matsuyama was first introduced to the game of golf at the age of four by his father, who took the opportunity to move his son’s school when in the eighth grade, he went to Tohoku Fukuchi University where golf was a big part of their teaching.
At the age of eighteen, Matsuyama won the Asian Amateur Championship, which earned him an invitation to Augusta National for the 2011 Masters Tournament, where he won the silver medal as the leading amateur.
The week following the Masters, Matsuyama finished 3rd in his national Open, the Japanese Championship, as his precocious ability started to make headlines on a worldwide scale.
By August of 2012, Matsuyama had reached the #1 spot on the amateur world rankings, winning on the Japanese professional tour in the process at the esteemed Taiheiyo Masters. That win followed hot on the heels of further amateur success as he defended the Asian Amateur Championship and won individual and team golds when representing Japan at the University Games.
Turning Professional With a Huge Reputation
In April 2013, with a huge reputation and massive home expectations, Hideki Matsuyama turned professional. He hit the ground running, winning his second event on his home tour, the Tsuruya Open.
The year was a success with four professional wins on the Japanese Tour and a top 10 finish in the U.S. Open to break into the world’s top 50.
2014 Matsuyama Moved Over to the PGA Tour
After his brilliance in 2013, Matsuyama went over to America to try his hand in the big league, and he was an instant success winning the Memorial Tournament. He ended the year up to #13 in the world rankings with two further wins later in the year when back home in Japan.
After a lackluster 2015, when his brilliance waned a little, Matsuyama was back on track early in 2016 by winning the Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour. That same year saw him almost unbeatable when he returned to Japan for their biggest tournaments.
After winning the Hero Challenge on the PGA Tour to bookend the year in style, he finished the season at a career-high #6 in the world rankings.
2017 saw Matsuyama defend his Phoenix Open when defeating Webb Simpson in a sudden death playoff. Further wins at the inaugural World Championship event (WGC), and at Firestone for the esteemed Bridgestone Invitational, meant the Japanese golfer had reached a career-high in the world rankings of #2.
Career Stalled Between 2018 and 2020
Years later, in 2018, a loss of elite-level form, and the start of injuries that still required management, meant Matsuyama’s career began to tread water for the first time. This was not helped by the Covid-19 pandemic period that saw him shut down back home in Japan.
However, in 2021, Hideki Matsuyama was back with a bang, as he rather unexpectedly won his first major Championship, The Masters Tournament. That year continued at a pace winning the Zoso Championship, which was a co-sanctioned PGA Tour event held back in Japan. 2022 began with another bang when Matsuyama won on his second start of the year in Hawaii at the Sony Open.
Injury Problems Resulted in a Slump in Form
After the Sony win at the beginning of 2022, Matsuyama was once again beset with injury problems related to his back and neck, forcing him to return home to rest while receiving further treatment.
2023 was a struggle by his high standards with a 5th place finish at the Players Championship his best effort.
2024 Brings Hideki Back to His Best
This year we have seen the best of Hideki Matsuyama with an early win at the Genesis Invitational, where he put together an amazing final round of 62 to come from nowhere and snatch the title.
Later in the year, he won the St. Jude Championship despite losing his caddy when they were mugged traveling back after an Olympic bronze medal in Paris.
Matsuyama finished 9th in the FedEx Cup, and if he had not needed to withdraw from the BMW Championship (the penultimate event) as a precautionary measure for his neck problems, he would have finished much closer. Nonetheless, Hideki Matsuyama looks in fine fettle with himself once again, ranked at #7, and looks a contender for all the big prizes of 2025.
