Asian legends tip Matsuyama to enjoy golden run

If Hideki Matsuyama beats the strongest field in golf and becomes the first Japanese winner at The Players Championship this week, those who blazed the trail for Asian golf before him will be the least surprised.

Hideki Matsuyama looks on from the practice area prior to The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida on Monday. [GETTY IMAGES]

If Hideki Matsuyama beats the strongest field in golf and becomes the first Japanese winner at The Players Championship this week, those who blazed the trail for Asian golf before him will be the least surprised.

Matsuyama, who is now the winningest Asian golfer on the PGA Tour with nine victories, makes his ninth start at The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday with his sights set firmly on the coveted swinging golfer trophy which comes with winning the Tour’s flagship $25 million showpiece. The Players celebrates its 50th anniversary this week.

The 32-year-old Asian superstar holds three top-10s at The Players, including a solo fifth last year, a career best 63 at TPC Sawgrass which he shot in the first round in 2020 before the event was canceled, and has won once and finished T12 in his last two starts.

Last month, he rewrote a page in golf history by breaking a tie with K.J. Choi of Korea for most victories by an Asian player after a closing 62 saw him erase a six-shot deficit and win the Genesis Invitational by three. The stars were out at Riviera back then, and are gathered here again at TPC Sawgrass, often touted as the purest test in golf.

Choi, who now plays on PGA Tour Champions, said: “My first memory of Hideki was that he was different. If I had to describe him, he is like a jumbo jet, like something I really want to buy. All his attributes, the impact when hit hits a golf ball, his posture and the way he treats others are different about him. He has the right fundamentals. I knew if he kept these qualities consistently, he would be a great player. There is something special about him.”

After Matsuyama surpassed Shigeki Maruyama with a fourth PGA Tour victory in early 2017, the latter set his younger compatriot a lofty goal to reach nine wins, one more than the mark held by Choi. Maruyama now expects Matsuyama to also raise his major tally following a historic 2021 Masters triumph which sent Japan golf into a delirium.

In a video message, Maruyama said: “You and I have spoken and made promises about becoming the winningest Asian player, and now you’ve broken the record. You already have one major, and now the next goal should be to get the other three. You’ve got the U.S. Open, PGA Championship and The Open remaining but I hope you can show us all the “Sunday Hideki” winning form and complete the series.”

Japan golf legend Isao Aoki, the first Asian winner on the PGA Tour when he won the 1983 Sony Open in Hawaii, also offered a congratulatory message. “I may have been the first Asian to win, but after winning your ninth championship, you have now become the winningest Asian in history. What an amazing achievement. We are so proud of you and look forward to seeing what else you will do in your historic career. Now hurry and get your next win,” said Aoki.

Choi believes Matsuyama’s mental strength and temperament have been key ingredients for his success, aside from his tremendous ball-striking skills, where he is now ranked 17th in the world after starting the year in 46th place following a 2023 season which yielded only one top-10. His putting remains an Achilles heel — he has been ranked outside the top-100 in Strokes Gained: Putting over the years — although he has shown marked improvements on the greens in recent times.

“Hideki doesn’t get riled up when he is playing well or exasperated when he isn’t,” said Choi, who is one-up on Matsuyama as the Korean won the 2011 Players. “He controls his emotions well, focuses on his game and is never afraid of any challenges. He is like a wrecking ball that goes through any obstacles. I expect him to accomplish a lot of things. Records are meant to be broken. I think that’s what sports is all about. I have no doubt he can exceed nine or 10 wins. He is dedicated to the game and the amount of time he puts into his golf is amazing. His love for our sport and his desire to get better … those are factors that make him so special”.

With Matsuyama having battled neck and back issues in recent years, including at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, Choi is hopeful the Japanese stays injury-free. “Sometimes I hear he has back issues, and whenever I hear about those issues, I think he is constantly practising to improve. But he is young and he has plenty of time to show us why he is one of the top Asian golfers,” said Choi.

BY CHUAH CHOO CHIANG [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]