Hideki Matsuyama is working with a brand new caddie on the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Getty Photographs
Hideki Matsuyama received robbed. He misplaced his pockets. And his coach. And his caddie.
However not his golf recreation.
Matsuyama spoke to the media on Thursday after his opening spherical on the FedEx St. Jude Championship and detailed what has amounted to an odd couple weeks. After incomes a bronze medal on the Paris Olympics, Matsuyama and his crew — his caddie Shota Hayafuji and his coach Mikihito Kuromiya — had determined to spend one evening in London. They have been at dinner downtown, he mentioned, once they observed one thing was lacking.
“We didn’t even realize it occurred. We have been simply having a pleasant dinner, and Shota was the primary one: ‘hey, the place is my bag?’ After all it was irritating, however we actually didn’t realize it occurred. It was simply type of impulsively.”
The perpetrator, Matsuyama mentioned, “simply took it and ran.”
A journey nightmare ensued.
“It was an unlucky state of affairs,” Matsuyama mentioned. “Fortunately I solely misplaced my pockets, however Shota, my caddie, and [my] coach misplaced their passports, and we’re making an attempt onerous now to get their visas again in line, and hopefully we are able to be part of us as a crew as quickly as doable.”
There’s no good time for a stolen passport, and given the spot within the schedule, this can be a notably important time for Matsuyama to be enjoying his finest. After his third-place Olympic end, he’s been hoping to hold some momentum into the ultimate three occasions of the PGA Tour season; at No. 8 within the FedEx Cup standings he’s all however assured to make it to East Lake, the place he’ll hope to problem for the finale’s $18 million prize.
Within the meantime, his coach and caddie returned to Japan, the place they’ll work on substitute passports. Hayafuji, Matsuyama mentioned, might make it to the U.S. in time for the Tour Championship. Kuromiya doubtless gained’t.
However Matsuyama, nonetheless in possession of his passport, was nonetheless capable of journey to Memphis, Tenn. to fill out this week’s 70-man subject at TPC Southwind. And he was capable of safe a last-minute caddie, Taiga Tabuchi, who usually caddies for Ryo Hisatsune. With Hisatsune out of the playoffs, this was alleged to be an off-week for Tabuchi. However when Matsuyama calls, you reply.
“He’s, like, the perfect Asian participant, so I used to be excited to take the supply,” Tabuchi informed the Business Enchantment in an interview right here. “I additionally caddie for Ryo Hisatsune, and he and Hideki have performed apply rounds collectively, so I do know Hideki very effectively. So, I believe that’s why he provided me.”
The visible of Matsuyama with out his longtime caddie (who you’d acknowledge from his iconic bow on the 18th inexperienced after Matsuyama’s Masters win) took some getting used to — even for him.
“Sort of jogged my memory of the primary time Shota was on my bag. We type of labored via a pair issues. Actually that was the principle factor immediately is having teamwork with my caddie,” he mentioned.
The remainder of his recreation, however, appeared fairly acquainted. After a rocky begin — he discovered the water on the par-5 third gap to fall to at least one over par — he hit it effectively and had a terrific day on the greens, main the sector in strokes gained placing en path to a seven-birdie five-under 65 that places him in second place after the primary spherical, one shot behind chief Chris Kirk.
However the theft, he says, he’s “forgotten fully.” How has he averted the distraction? Matsuyama made it sound easy.
“My job is identical. It’s simply play golf,” he mentioned. “I discuss to my coach each evening on the cellphone. I’ve received a terrific caddie. Taiga did a terrific job immediately, so we’ll simply see the way it goes.”
Only one remaining thriller, then: with their wallets every stolen, how’d they pay for the invoice at dinner?
“We’d already paid the verify,” Matsuyama mentioned.
In different phrases, they couldn’t even sneak a free meal out of the deal. But when Matsuyama retains up this degree of play, he’ll have the ability to purchase a brand new pockets — and a pleasant verify to tuck inside it.
