Matsuyama Seeking to Exact Revenge on Tiger

Thousand Oaks, California, United States: Hideki Matsuyama jokingly vowed to exact revenge on Tiger Woods after finishing runner-up to the American in the inaugural ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP on home soil 12 months ago.

“I must get revenge here next year! He is coming back and I will be here,” said the two-time former Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship winner.

Matsuyama gets his chance to turn the tables on Woods this week. However, instead of competing in Japan, the tournament is being played at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California this week due to the challenges caused by Covid-19. Hence, the event is known as the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD for this year only.

Coincidentally, Sherwood, a Jack Nicklaus signature design, is one of Woods’ favourite hunting grounds as he’s won here five times previously, which makes the prospect of taking him down in his own backyard even more enticing for Matsuyama.

“I’m very happy that we’re able to have this tournament. I’d love to win this week and be able to have the fans come out in Japan next year and be the defending champion there. That would be awesome,” said Matsuyama.

Chasing a sixth PGA Tour victory, with his last being at the 2017 WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational, the 28-year-old has performed consistently over the past few years with 14 top-10s around the world since his last win. Matsuyama, now ranked 20th in the world, feels his next victory could just be around the corner.

“It’s been three years and I think about that quite a bit. I always try my best and every week feel like I’m getting there, but it hasn’t happened. I’m thinking about that a lot and preparing myself and hoping that week will come sooner than later,” said Matsuyama, who plays the first two rounds with world number two Jon Rahm and Justin Rose, the 2018 FedEx Cup champion.

Apart from Woods, Matsuyama will also need to contend against a star-studded field which includes 25 of the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking, including eight of the top-10 players, and 28 of the top 30 players from the final FedEx Cup points list last season. Other big names in the field include Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele.

Matsuyama is disappointed that Japan’s only PGA Tour tournament cannot be held in his home country this year and hopes to deliver a strong showing to bring some cheer to Japanese fans.

He said: “We are grateful that ZOZO Inc has decided to bring the tournament to the US. Hopefully they (the fans) will enjoy the live TV broadcast. Last year’s ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP was a great success and it was an honour to participate in Japan’s first official PGA Tour tournament.

“I was especially thrilled with the large galleries that lined each fairway and how they cheered on all the players. Many of my fellow PGA Tour members have expressed to me what a great time they had at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP and how impressed they were with the golf etiquette and knowledge of the game that the gallery displayed.

“I was fortunate to play well last year and contend for the title. However, Tiger just played better than all of us. It was a well-deserved win and hats off to Tiger for earning his record-tying 82nd PGA Tour victory. I know he will be tough to beat at Sherwood where he has had great success in the past. Hopefully I can play well enough to contend for the trophy and give the golf fans back in Japan a good show.”

Attention will also be focused on newly-turned professional Takumi Kanaya, who like Matsuyama is a former winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and touted as a rising star.

The 22-year-old ranked number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for 55 weeks and won the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheyo Open on the Japan Tour as well as finishing tied third in the Australian Open late last year while still an amateur. In his professional debut, Kanaya placed seventh in the Japan Open last weekend.

He hopes to be as successful as Matsuyama and play full-time on the PGA Tour soon. “His (Matsuyama) success on the PGA Tour gave not just myself, but a lot of the Japanese players, big confidence that we can compete against the world like he did. Although the goal is high, he set a good goal for us and for that I really admire him as a role model,” said Kanaya, who is among eight Japanese golfers in the elite field this week.