I looked at the odds for the Masters at Augusta in April today and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama is best priced at 12 to 1 to win golf's first major title of the year. He's no longer under the radar due to his nationality, need for a translator or low key demeanour. The secret is out. It's a matter of when, not if, the 24 year old becomes the first ever major golf champion from Japan.
Down the years we have seen great golfers from the Land of the Rising Sun. Jumbo Osaki, Isao Aoki, Tommy Nakajima and Shingo Katayama have contended in the biggest tournaments. Ryo Ishikawa was tipped for greatness by many a wise owl after dominating the Japanese Tour as a teenager, a run which included a round of 58, but he's yet to crack America and is currently ranked 109th in the world. It's Matsuyama that has emerged as the real deal and the reflection of golf as a truly global sport.
Last Sunday he won the Phoenix Open for the second year in a row to climb to number 5 in golf's world rankings. He leads the money list on the U.S. PGA Tour. He has now won 4 times across the Atlantic. He's won 3 play offs on the U.S. PGA Tour. He's won the Memorial Tournament, one of the marquee events outside the majors. He won the recent HSBC Champions event by 7 shots. This is red hot form. This is major winning form.
It's backed up by the statistics to illustrate Matsuyama is a supreme ball striker. He has ranked in the top 10 over the last 2 seasons in strokes gained tee to green, in approaches to the green and in birdie average. He's already amassed top 10 finishes in all 4 majors, including a 5th and a Tied 7th at Augusta in the last two years. That is not an easy course to learn. It shows Matsuyama is a cut above. And his temperament looks sound.
So the only thing that is going to stop this young man from greatness is the flat stick. His putting stats are middle of the road, which means he's had to rely on great driving and stiffing iron shots close. That he's managed to do that means that on a good week with the putter, contention is almost guaranteed.
What I will be interested to see is how the pendulum swings for him in 2017. Does it swing from average putting increasing frustration in his long game to the point that malfunctions will hold him back? Or does it swing from confidence and brilliant ball striking giving him the certainty that the putts will drop? If it's the latter, he could be a major champion as soon as Sunday April 9th, when the green jacket is presented to the winner of the Masters.
