Japanese · Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan · Born 25 February 1992Hideki Matsuyama is Japan's most successful PGA Tour golfer, breaking through with a historic 2021 Masters win.
Hideki Matsuyama's victory at the 2021 Masters, where his caddie paused on the 18th green to bow towards Augusta National after the final round, made him the first Japanese man ever to win a men's major championship — a moment of such national significance that it was credited with dramatically expanding golf's popularity across Asia. Matsuyama became the first Japanese amateur ever to qualify for the Masters, winning the 2010 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, and successfully defended the title the following year to become the only player ever to win it in consecutive editions, all while studying at Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai, a city devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami while Matsuyama was training abroad in Australia. Matsuyama reached the world's top amateur ranking in 2012 before turning professional in 2013, and went on to win 11 times on the PGA Tour, delivering the signature achievement of his career at the 2021 Masters, becoming the first Japanese man ever to win a men's major championship. Matsuyama reached a career-high world ranking of second in 2017, and has continued to compete at an elite level, remaining Japan's most successful golfer in history and a national hero credited with dramatically expanding the sport's popularity across Asia.
First Japanese man to win a major golf championship (2021 Masters)
How They Played
Methodical ball-striker with exceptional iron play and course management
Lasting Impact
Pioneering golfer who broke barriers for Asian golf and inspired a generation of Japanese players
Career Honours
- Masters 2021
- Olympic bronze 2021
- 11 PGA Tour wins
Japanese Athletes