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Hideki Matsuyama facts for kids

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The native form of this personal name is Matsuyama Hideki. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
In this Japanese name, the family name is Matsuyama.
Quick facts for kids
Hideki Matsuyama
松山 英樹
Matsuyama in 2021
Personal information
Born (1992-02-25) 25 February 1992 (age 33)
Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 90 kg (200 lb; 14 st)
Nationality  Japan
Residence Sendai, Japan
Spouse
Mei Matsuyama
​
(m. 2017)​
Children 1
Career
College Tohoku Fukushi University
Turned professional 2013
Current tour(s) PGA Tour
Former tour(s) Japan Golf Tour
Professional wins 20
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour 11
European Tour 3
Japan Golf Tour 8
Other 1
Best results in Major Championships
(Wins: 1)
The Masters Tournament Won: 2021
U.S. Open T2: 2017
The Open Championship T6: 2013
PGA Championship T4: 2016
Achievements and awards
Japan Golf Tour
money list winner		 2013
Japan Golf Tour
Most Valuable Player		 2013
Japan Golf Tour
Rookie of the Year		 2013

Hideki Matsuyama (松山 英樹, Matsuyama Hideki, born 25 February 1992) is a Japanese professional golfer. He plays on the PGA Tour, which is a top golf circuit in North America. Hideki made history as the first Japanese golfer to win a major golf championship for men. This big win happened at the 2021 Masters Tournament.

As of early 2025, Hideki Matsuyama has won 20 golf tournaments around the world. He also earned a bronze medal at the Olympics. He has finished in the top 10 at major championships ten times. Hideki has also played in the Presidents Cup six times. He has won the Waste Management Phoenix Open twice and the Asian Amateur Championship twice. He also won the FedEx St. Jude Championship and two tournaments in the World Golf Championships. With 11 wins on the PGA Tour, he is the most successful Japanese player ever on that tour. In 2012, he was ranked number one in the world for amateur golfers. By June 2017, he reached his highest professional ranking, number two in the world.

Early Life and Amateur Golf

Hideki Matsuyama was born on February 25, 1992, in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan. His father introduced him to golf when he was just four years old. When he was in eighth grade, he moved to a special high school. This school, Meitoku Gijuku Junior & Senior High School, was known for its excellent golf program.

Hideki later studied at Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai. In 2010, he won the Asian Amateur Championship. This victory gave him a special chance to play in the 2011 Masters Tournament as an amateur. He was the first Japanese amateur to ever do this. At the Masters, Hideki was the best amateur player. He won the Silver Cup, which is given to the amateur with the lowest score. He was the only amateur to play all four rounds of the tournament. A week after his Masters success, he tied for third place at the Japan Open Golf Championship. This event is part of the Japan Golf Tour.

In 2011, Hideki won a gold medal at the World University Games. He also helped the Japanese team win the gold medal in the team event. In October 2011, he won the Asian Amateur Championship again. In November, while still an amateur, Hideki won the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters on the Japan Golf Tour. By August 2012, Hideki Matsuyama was ranked number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Professional Golf Career

Starting as a Pro in 2013

Hideki Matsuyama became a professional golfer in April 2013. He quickly won his second professional tournament, the 2013 Tsuruya Open, on the Japan Golf Tour. Just five weeks later, he won his third Japan Golf Tour title at the Diamond Cup Golf tournament. After finishing in the top 10 at the 2013 U.S. Open, Hideki entered the top 50 in the world golf rankings. He won his fourth Japan Golf Tour event in September at the Fujisankei Classic. In December, Hideki won his fifth Japan Golf Tour event at the Casio World Open. This win made him the first rookie to lead the Japan Tour's money list.

First PGA Tour Win in 2014

In 2014, Hideki joined the PGA Tour. He had already played well in some PGA Tour events. He had six top-25 finishes in just seven tournaments. This included a tie for sixth place at the 2013 Open Championship. Hideki earned his first PGA Tour win at the 2014 Memorial Tournament. He beat Kevin Na in a playoff. This win moved him to his highest world ranking at the time, 13th. It was the first PGA Tour win for a Japanese player since 2008. In his first full season on the PGA Tour, he finished 28th in the FedEx Cup standings. Later in 2014, Hideki won his sixth Japan Golf Tour event. This victory was at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament.

Big Wins in 2016

On February 7, 2016, Hideki won the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He won in a playoff against Rickie Fowler. This victory moved him to 12th in the world rankings. On October 16, 2016, Hideki won the Japan Open Golf Championship. This was his first time winning his home country's national open. It was his seventh win in Japan. On October 30, 2016, Hideki won the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai. This tournament is often called "Asia's Major." He became the first Asian golfer to win a World Golf Championship. This win moved him to number 6 in the world rankings. He later reached fifth in the world. On November 13, 2016, Hideki won his second Taiheiyo Masters. He had won it before as an amateur in 2011. On December 4, 2016, Hideki won the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

More Success in 2017

Hideki returned to the Waste Management Phoenix Open in 2017. He won the tournament again in a playoff, this time against Webb Simpson. After finishing second at the 2017 U.S. Open, Hideki reached his highest world ranking ever: number 2. This was also the highest ranking for any male Japanese golfer. The 2017 season was a great year for Hideki. He won three PGA Tour titles, including his first World Golf Championship. He also had three second-place finishes. In August, he won the 2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He shot an amazing score of 61 in the final round to win by five strokes.

Playing in the Presidents Cup

In December 2019, Hideki played for the International team in the 2019 Presidents Cup. This event took place at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia. The U.S. team won the cup. Hideki played well, winning two matches and tying one.

Masters Champion in 2021

On April 11, 2021, Hideki Matsuyama won the 2021 Masters Tournament. This was a huge moment! He became the first Japanese player and the first Asian-born player to win this famous tournament. He finished with a score of 10 strokes under par. He was one shot ahead of the second-place player, Will Zalatoris. After Hideki won, his caddie, Shota Hayafuji, showed respect by bowing to the 18th fairway at Augusta National Golf Club.

In August 2021, Hideki tied for third place at the Olympic Games. He then lost in a playoff for the bronze medal. The next week, Hideki was tied for the lead after 72 holes at the 2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. He lost in a playoff to Abraham Ancer. In October 2021, Hideki won the Zozo Championship in Japan. This is the only PGA Tour event held in Japan. He won by five strokes.

More Wins and Olympic Medal

On January 16, 2022, Hideki won the Sony Open in Hawaii. He came back from five shots behind to get into a playoff with Russell Henley. Hideki made an eagle on the first extra hole to win. This was his eighth PGA Tour win, tying him for the most wins by an Asian-born player.

In August 2024, Hideki won the bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. He finished two shots behind the gold medalist. Later that month, he won the FedEx St. Jude Championship by two strokes. He almost lost his lead in the final round but made birdies on the last two holes. This was his 10th victory on the PGA Tour.

In January 2025, Hideki won The Sentry tournament. His winning score of 35 strokes under par set a new PGA Tour record. This was the lowest score compared to par in PGA Tour history.

Personal Life

Hideki Matsuyama married his wife, Mei, in January 2017. They have a daughter who was born in July 2017.

After winning his bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August 2024, Hideki was in London during a travel stop. He was robbed, and his wallet was stolen. His caddie and coach also had their passports stolen. Luckily, Hideki's Olympic medal was not taken.

Amateur Wins

  • 2010 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
  • 2011 Japan Collegiate Championship, World University Games, Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
  • 2012 Japan Collegiate Championship

Professional Wins (20)

PGA Tour Wins (11)

Legend
Major championships (1)
World Golf Championships (2)
FedEx Cup playoff events (1)
Signature events (2)
Other PGA Tour (5)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 1 Jun 2014 Memorial Tournament −13 (70-67-69-69=275) Playoff United States Kevin Na
2 7 Feb 2016 Waste Management Phoenix Open −14 (65-70-68-67=270) Playoff United States Rickie Fowler
3 30 Oct 2016 WGC-HSBC Champions −23 (66-65-68-66=265) 7 strokes United States Daniel Berger, Sweden Henrik Stenson
4 5 Feb 2017 Waste Management Phoenix Open (2) −17 (65-68-68-66=267) Playoff United States Webb Simpson
5 6 Aug 2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational −16 (69-67-67-61=264) 5 strokes United States Zach Johnson
6 11 Apr 2021 Masters Tournament −10 (69-71-65-73=278) 1 stroke United States Will Zalatoris
7 24 Oct 2021 Zozo Championship1 −15 (64-68-68-65=265) 5 strokes United States Brendan Steele, United States Cameron Tringale
8 16 Jan 2022 Sony Open in Hawaii −23 (66-65-63-63=257) Playoff United States Russell Henley
9 18 Feb 2024 Genesis Invitational −17 (69-68-68-62=267) 3 strokes United States Luke List, United States Will Zalatoris
10 18 Aug 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship −17 (65-64-64-70=263) 2 strokes Norway Viktor Hovland, United States Xander Schauffele
11 5 Jan 2025 The Sentry −35 (65-65-62-65=257) 3 strokes United States Collin Morikawa

1Co-sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour, but unofficial event on that tour.

PGA Tour playoff record (4–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2014 Memorial Tournament United States Kevin Na Won with par on first extra hole
2 2016 Waste Management Phoenix Open United States Rickie Fowler Won with par on fourth extra hole
3 2017 Waste Management Phoenix Open United States Webb Simpson Won with birdie on fourth extra hole
4 2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational Mexico Abraham Ancer, United States Sam Burns Ancer won with birdie on second extra hole
5 2022 Sony Open in Hawaii United States Russell Henley Won with eagle on first extra hole

Japan Golf Tour Wins (8)

Legend
Flagship events (1)
Japan majors (1)
Other Japan Golf Tour (7)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 13 Nov 2011 Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters
(as an amateur)		 −13 (71-64-68=203)* 2 strokes Japan Toru Taniguchi
2 28 Apr 2013 Tsuruya Open −18 (69-63-68-66=266) 1 stroke United States David Oh
3 2 Jun 2013 Diamond Cup Golf −9 (71-69-68-71=279) 2 strokes Australia Brad Kennedy, South Korea Kim Hyung-sung,
South Korea Park Sung-joon
4 8 Sep 2013 Fujisankei Classic −9 (66-70-66-73=275) Playoff South Korea Park Sung-joon, Japan Hideto Tanihara
5 1 Dec 2013 Casio World Open −12 (72-66-68-70=276) 1 stroke Japan Yuta Ikeda
6 23 Nov 2014 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament −15 (68-64-67-70=269) Playoff Japan Hiroshi Iwata
7 16 Oct 2016 Japan Open Golf Championship −5 (71-70-65-69=275) 3 strokes Japan Yuta Ikeda, South Korea Lee Kyoung-hoon
8 13 Nov 2016 Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters (2) −23 (65-66-65-69=265) 7 strokes South Korea Song Young-han

*Note: The 2013 Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters was shortened to 54 holes due to weather.

Japan Golf Tour playoff record (2–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2013 Fujisankei Classic South Korea Park Sung-joon, Japan Hideto Tanihara Won with birdie on second extra hole
2 2014 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament Japan Hiroshi Iwata Won with par on first extra hole

Other Wins (1)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 4 Dec 2016 Hero World Challenge −18 (65-67-65-73=270) 2 strokes Sweden Henrik Stenson

Major Championships

Wins (1)

Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner-up
2021 Masters Tournament 4 shot lead −10 (69-71-65-73=278) 1 stroke United States Will Zalatoris

Results Timeline

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Masters Tournament T27LA T54 CUT 5 T7 T11 19
U.S. Open T10 T35 T18 CUT T2 T16
The Open Championship T6 T39 T18 CUT T14 CUT
PGA Championship T19 T35 T37 T4 T5 T35
Tournament 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Masters Tournament T32 T13 1 T14 T16 T38 T21
PGA Championship T16 T22 T23 T60 T29 T35 CUT
U.S. Open T21 T17 T26 4 T32 6 T42
The Open Championship CUT NT T68 T13 T66

     Win      Top 10      Did not play LA = low amateur
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary of Major Results

Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 1 0 0 2 3 9 14 13
PGA Championship 0 0 0 2 2 6 13 12
U.S. Open 0 1 0 2 4 8 13 12
The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 1 4 10 7
Totals 1 1 0 6 10 27 50 44
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 19 (2020 PGA – 2025 Masters)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (2013 U.S. Open – 2013 Open Championship)

Results in The Players Championship

Tournament 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2023 2024 2025
The Players Championship T23 T17 T7 T22 CUT T8 C CUT 5 T6 CUT

     Top 10 CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
C = Cancelled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic

World Golf Championships

Wins (2)

Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner(s)-up
2016 WGC-HSBC Champions 3 shot lead −23 (66-65-68-66=265) 7 strokes United States Daniel Berger, Sweden Henrik Stenson
2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational 2 shot deficit −16 (69-67-67-61=264) 5 strokes United States Zach Johnson

Results Timeline

Results not in chronological order before 2015.

Tournament 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Championship T34 T23 T35 T25 T19 T6 T15
Match Play R32 R16 T18 T51 T36 NT1 T42 T31
Invitational T21 T12 T37 T42 1 T39 T43 T20 T2
Champions WD T41 WD 1 T50 T30 T11 NT1 NT1 NT1

1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
     Win      Top 10      Did not play WD = Withdrew
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
NT = No tournament
"T" = tied
Note that the Championship and Invitational were discontinued from 2022. The Champions was discontinued from 2023.

PGA Tour Career Summary

Season Starts Cuts
made		 Wins
(majors)		 2nd 3rd Top-10 Top-25 Earnings
($)		 Money
list rank
2011 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2012 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2013 7 6 0 0 0 2 6 690,473 0
2014 24 20 1 0 1 4 12 2,837,477 27
2015 25 23 0 1 2 9 19 3,758,619 15
2016 23 17 2 0 1 8 14 4,193,954 9
2017 22 20 2 3 0 7 12 8,380,570 4
2018 21 18 0 0 0 4 12 2,687,477 39
2019 24 22 0 0 2 7 15 3,335,137 23
2020 20 17 0 1 2 5 14 3,665,825 12
2021 27 22 1 (1) 2 0 3 10 4,963,594 18
2022 21 17 2 0 1 6 10 5,776,298 12
2023 26 22 0 0 0 2 11 3,874,772 46
Career* 244 206 8 (1) 7 9 57 135 44,164,197 18

* As of the 2023 season

Team Appearances

Amateur

  • Eisenhower Trophy (representing Japan): 2008, 2012
  • World University Games (representing Japan): 2011 (winners)
  • Bonallack Trophy (representing Asia/Pacific): 2012

Professional

  • Presidents Cup (representing the International team): 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024
  • World Cup (representing Japan): 2016

Images for kids

  • Hideki Matsuyama ClevelandGolf4-21 (cropped)

    Matsuyama in 2021

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Hideki Matsuyama para niños

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