Matsuyama makes golf history with 2021 Masters victory

Hideki Matsuyama wrote a piece of history Sunday by winning the 85th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.

In becoming the first Japanese male to win a major golf championship, he created a problem for himself most people would love to have. He became a media darling — and answering questions from the press does not rank among his favorite things.

He prefers to let his clubs to his talking, and they spoke volumes for four days at the Masters. After rounds of 69 and 71, he took command with a 6-under-par 65 Saturday and finished the job Sunday.

His final 1-over-par 73 gave him a four-round total of 10-under 278, one stroke clear of his closest challenger.

“He doesn’t talk a whole lot,” said Justin Thomas, the world’s second-ranked player, “but he’s real solid.”

He played that way — solid — Sunday, and the margin seemed greater. He had the field playing for second place most of the afternoon.

Nevertheless, he said he did not feel secure until a perfect tee shot on the final hole. He looked calm, but said, “My nerves really didn’t start on the second nine. It was right from the start today. Right to the very last putt.”

His victory, coupled with Tsubasa Kajitani’s triumph in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, gave the golf-loving nation of Japan two of the sports’ most prestigious championships within eight days.

Asked by Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley to express his feelings on becoming the tournament’s first Japanese champion, he replied, through an interpreter, “I’m very happy.”

Pressed to elaborate, Matsuyama said, “Hopefully, I’ll be a pioneer in this and many other Japanese will follow. I’m glad to be able to open the floodgates and hopefully many more will follow me.”

Matsuyama began the final round four strokes clear of his closest challengers and he increased his advantage to six. His birdie at the par-5 13th hole moved him to 13-under par for the tournament and he figured to have clear sailing home.

But in keeping with tradition, drama emerged on the back nine Sunday in the Masters.

Xander Schauffele reeled off four straight birdies, and Matsuyama’s second shot on the par-5 15th went over the green and into the water. He made bogey, Schauffele birdied and suddenly the margin had been sliced to two.

But Schauffele, with the honor, hit first on the par-3 16th and put his tee ball in the water en route to a triple-bogey 6. Matsuyama played to the center of the green, three-putted for bogey and took a two-shot advantage over Will Zalatoris to the final two holes.

The champion parred 17 and his tap-in bogey on 18 left him with a one-stroke edge over Zalatoris.

With the victory, he earned $2.07 million from the $11.5 million purse.

A bigger prize: the green jacket symbolic of the Masters champion.

His first-hole bogey perhaps gave the challengers who began the day four strokes behind a ray of hope, but he birdied the second and kept his round going by saving par on the fierce No. 5 after driving into a fairway bunker.

Only Zalatoris, a Masters newcomer, offered an early challenge, making birdie at the first two holes. He gave one back with a bogey at three. The former Wake Forest golfer made birdie at the par-5 eighth, but Matsuyama, playing two groups behind, countered and added another on the ninth.

Up ahead, Zalatoris bogeyed Nos. 10 and 12, and Matsuyama looked like he could cruise home. He had one tense moment remaining, but Schauffele’s tee shot on 16 ended the drama.

The victory is Matsuyama’s six in PGA Tour events and came after a stretch of mostly so-so performances. Since the new season began in September, he had mustered only one top-10 finish in 15 starts.

Starting with the new calendar year, “I have a coach (Hidenori Mezawa) with me now from Japan and it’s been a great help, a great benefit,” Matsuyama said. “Thing that I was feeling in my swing, I could talk to him about that, and he was giving me good feedback. He has a good eye.

“It’s like having a mirror for my swing, and it’s been a great help. We worked hard and hopefully it’s all staring to come together.”

Matsuyama first came to Augusta in 2011, earning an invitation after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. He finished 27th and was the low amateur. He returned a year later and placed T54 before turning professional.

“Playing here for the first time after I won the first Asia-Pacific Amateur, it was a difficult time in Japan because the earthquake and tsunami had just hit, and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to come or not,” he remembered.

“But I came and fortunately was able to finish low amateur, and that experience and that — knowing I could play with other professionals — really gave me a lot of confidence. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to the members of Augusta National because I wouldn’t be here today without them.”

Like most young golfers of his generation, he grew up watching Tiger Woods.

“I have a lot of great memories watching the Masters as a young boy,” he said. “The first time I watched, Tiger Woods was the winner. Another great memory is when he chipped in at 16 down the hill (in 2005), that shot just going in. I was always dreaming someday I could play here.”

His dream came true, and Sunday he joined Woods in the select fraternity of Masters champions.

Final 2021 Masters top scores, leaderboard, winnings

Hideki Matsuyama, $2,070,000 ..... 69-71-65-73—278 ..... -10

Will Zalatoris, $1,242,000 ..... 70-68-71-70—279 ..... -9

Xander Schauffele, $667,000 ..... 72-69-68-72—281 ..... -7

Jordan Spieth, $667,000 ..... 71-68-72-70—281 ..... -7

Marc Leishman, $437,000 ..... 72-67-70-73—282 ..... -6

Jon Rahm, $437,000 ..... 72-72-72-66—282 ..... -6

Justin Rose, $385,250 ..... 65-72-72-74—283 ..... -5

Corey Conners, $345,000 ..... 73-69-68-74—284 ..... -4

Patrick Reed, $345,000 ..... 70-75-70-69—284 ..... -4

Tony Finau, $299,000 ..... 74-66-73-72—285 ..... -3

Cameron Smith, $299,000 ..... 74-68-73-70—285 ..... -3

Masters Champions

2021 _ Hideki Matsuyama

2020 _ Dustin Johnson

2019 _ Tiger Woods

2018 _ Patrick Reed

2017 _ Sergio Garcia

2016 _ Danny Willett

2015 _ Jordan Spieth

2014 _ Bubba Watson

2013 _ x-Adam Scott

2012 _ x-Bubba Watson

2011 _ Charl Schwartzel

2010 _ Phil Mickelson

2009 _ x-Angel Cabrera

2008 _ Trevor Immelman

2007 _ Zach Johnson

2006 _ Phil Mickelson

2005 _ x-Tiger Woods

2004 _ Phil Mickelson

2003 _ x-Mike Weir

2002 _ Tiger Woods

2001 _ Tiger Woods

2000 _ Vijay Singh

1999 _ Jose Maria Olazabal

1998 _ Mark O’Meara

1997 _ Tiger Woods

1996 _ Nick Faldo

1995 _ Ben Crenshaw

1994 _ Jose Maria Olazabal

1993 _ Bernhard Langer

1992 _ Fred Couples

1991 _ Ian Woosnam

1990 _ x-Nick Faldo

1989 _ x-Nick Faldo

1988 _ Sandy Lyle

1987 _ x-Larry Mize

1986 _ Jack Nicklaus

1985 _ Bernhard Langer

1984 _ Ben Crenshaw

1983 _ Seve Ballesteros

1982 _ x-Craig Stadler

1981 _ Tom Watson

1980 _ Seve Ballesteros

1979 _ x-Fuzzy Zoeller

1978 _ Gary Player

1977 _ Tom Watson

1976 _ Raymond Floyd

1975 _ Jack Nicklaus

1974 _ Gary Player

1973 _ Tommy Aaron

1972 _ Jack Nicklaus

1971 _ Charles Coody

1970 _ x-Billy Casper

1969 _ George Archer

1968 _ Bob Goalby

1967 _ Gay Brewer Jr.

1966 _ x-Jack Nicklaus

1965 _ Jack Nicklaus

1964 _ Arnold Palmer

1963 _ Jack Nicklaus

1962 _ x-Arnold Palmer

1961 _ Gary Player

1960 _ Arnold Palmer

1959 _ Art Wall Jr.

1958 _ Arnold Palmer

1957 _ Doug Ford

1956 _ Jack Burke Jr.

1955 _ Cary Middlecoff

1954 _ x-Sam Snead

1953 _ Ben Hogan

1952 _ Sam Snead

1951 _ Ben Hogan

1950 _ Jimmy Demaret

1949 _ Sam Snead

1948 _ Claude Harmon

1947 _ Jimmy Demaret

1946 _ Herman Keiser

1945 _ No tournament, WWII

1944 _ No tournament, WWII

1943 _ No tournament, WWII

1942 _ x-Byron Nelson

1941 _ Craig Wood

1940 _ Jimmy Demaret

1939 _ Ralph Guldahl

1938 _ Henry Picard

1937 _ Byron Nelson

1936 _ Horton Smith

1935 _ x-Gene Sarazen

1934 _ Horton Smith

x-won playoff