Hail Hideki, Asia’s First Augusta Master

Augusta, Georgia, United States: Hideki Matsuyama withstood a nerve-jangling finale to write his name into golf’s history books as Asia’s first Masters Tournament winner.

After a roller-coaster final day at Augusta National, Matsuyama prevailed to become the first male Japanese Major champion and only the second Asian to achieve the feat, following Korean YE Yang at the PGA Championship in 2009.

As his tap-in bogey putt disappeared below ground on the 18th green, Matsuyama breathed a huge sigh of relief as he took in the magnitude of his success.

Four strokes clear at the top heading into the last round, the two-time former Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) winner closed with a one-over-par 73.

His four-day aggregate of 10-under 278 was one ahead of American Will Zalatoris and three in front of past champion Jordan Spieth and playing partner Xander Schauffele.

But the numbers do not tell the whole story on what proved to be a day of wildly fluctuating fortunes for the 29-year-old Japanese and his pursuers.

Following a nervy opening hole bogey, Matsuyama settled well and appeared to be coasting home when he extended his lead to six after 11 holes.

But with the finish line in sight, Matsuyama wobbled with bogeys at 12, 15, where he airmailed the green and found water, and 16.

A par at 17 gave him a two-shot cushion heading to the last, but the drama was not complete as he found sand with his approach. Calmly, though, he splashed out to five feet. With two putts to win he used them both.

“I was nervous from the start,” said Matsuyama, who was helped into the Green Jacket that is awarded to the winner by last year’s champion Dustin Johnson at the Butler Cabin, where 10 years ago he was presented with the prize as the low amateur in the wake of his first AAC triumph.

Asked how it felt to be crowned Japan’s first Masters winner, he added: “I’m glad to open the floodgates. Hopefully, I will be a pioneer and many more will follow. It’s thrilling to think there are a lot of youngsters in Japan watching today. Hopefully in five, 10 years, when they get a little older, some of them will be competing on the world stage.”

Matsuyama’s masterful display completed a memorable week for golf in Japan, coming the weekend after 17-year-old Tsubasa Kajitani won the second edition of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Winner of five PGA Tour titles and eight Japan Golf Tour Organisation events, Matsuyama has cemented his position among the pantheon of Japanese golfing greats, alongside Isao Aoki, Tsuneyuki ‘Tommy’ Nakajima, Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki and Chako Higuchi and Hinako Shibuno, the country’s two female Major champions.