Matsuyama makes golf history with 2021 Masters victory

Hideki Matsuyama painted himself into a corner Sunday by running away with the title in the 85th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.

In becoming the first Japanese male to win a major golf championship, he made himself a man in demand. And that means facing the media and answering questions, an exercise he frankly says does not rank among his favorite things.

He prefers to let his clubs do 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 left his competitors behind Sunday.

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

His victory, coupled with Tsubasa Kajitani’s victory 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 after Saturday’s round what a victory would mean for his nation, the 29-year-old Matsuyama said through an interpreter: “I’m not sure how to answer the question. All I can do is prepare well, try my best and do the best I can (Sunday).”

He did that.

His first-hole bogey Sunday 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 Masters newcomer Will Zalatoris 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 his final thrust with a birdie at the par-5 eighth, but Matsuyama, playing two groups behind, matched his birdie at No. 9 and added another on the ninth.

Up ahead, Zalatoris bogeyed the 10th and 12th holes, and Matsuyama looked like he could cruise home. But he had one tense moment remaining, making bogey on the par-5 15th and seeing his lead shrink to two after Schauffele, his playing partner, made birdie.

But Schauffele, with the honors, 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 Zalatoris to the final two holes.

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.

Justin Rose, who led the first two rounds, joined Zalatoris, Xander Schauffele and Marc Leishman four shots behind at the start Sunday. One by one, they fell away, and Matsuyama’s lead grew to six strokes.

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,” Maatsuyama 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.”

The swing definitely clicked for the player with a reputation for being a pure ball-striker and, alas, one of the worst putters on the PGA Tour.

Matsuyama first came to Augusta in 2011, earning an invitation after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. He finished 27^th and earned low amateurs. 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.

Masters prize money, purse distribution

The Masters released the breakdown of how the $11.5 million purse will be distributed this year, and first prize this year matches what Tiger Woods received for his win in 2019 and what Dustin Johnson got last year.

If someone finishes in sole possession of second place, he’ll receive $1.242 million — which would be the biggest prize in Masters history going to a non-winner. Runner-ups Sungjae Im and Cameron Smith got $1.012 million apiece last year; the Masters record for runner-ups is $1,188,000, won by Rickie Fowler in 2018 and Justin Rose in 2017.

Third prize, if claimed outright, would be worth $782,000; fourth, $552,000 and fifth, $460,000. For the record, 50th place is still a nice check: $28,980.

— The Associated Press