12 Things You Didn’t Know About Hideki Matsuyama

Here are 12 things you didn't already know about the Japanese professional golfer

12 Things You Didn’t Know About Hideki Matsuyama

Japanese professional Hideki Matsuyama is perhaps one of the least well-known players at the top of the game so, to rectify that somewhat, we have put together this post with 12 things you might not have known about him.

12 Things You Didn’t Know About Hideki Matsuyama

1. Hideki learned to play golf because of his father Mikio

2. He was born in Matsuyama, Ehime, in Japan

3. Hideki became the world’s number one male amateur in June 2012. He held the ranking for one week

4. Matsuyama turned pro in 2013, just a couple of months after turning 20 years old

Related: Who Is Hideki Matsuyama’s Caddie?

5. His favourite player growing up was Tiger Woods and he distinctly remembers watching Tiger win the 1997 Masters tournament

6. In his spare time Hideki likes to fish, watch baseball and play table-tennis

7. The 27-year-old attended Tokohu Fukushi University as a youngster

8. Matsuyama became the first Japanese amateur to qualify for the Masters with victory at the Asia-Amateur Championship. This win came in 2010 and was at the 2020 Olympic Games host course, Kasumigaseki Country Club

9. He won the event again in 2011, becoming the only player to date to win it twice in a row

10. He has had five PGA Tour wins, two of which came at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and two of which were WGCs. His first came at the 2014 Memorial Tournament after a play-off victory over Kevin Na

11. His highest world ranking is 2nd.

12. His best finish in a Major came at the 2017 US Open hosted at Erin Hills. His final round 66 put him four shots back of Brooks Koepka.

This article 12 Things You Didn’t Know About Hideki Matsuyama appeared first on Golf Monthly.