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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 famous Japanese professional golfer. He plays on the PGA Tour, which is one of the biggest golf tours in the world.

Hideki made history by becoming the first Japanese golfer to win a major golf championship for men. This big win happened at the 2021 Masters Tournament.

As of January 2025, Hideki has won 20 golf tournaments around the world. He also has an Olympic bronze medal. He has finished in the top 10 at major championships ten times. He has also played in the Presidents Cup six times, representing the International Team.

Hideki has won two tournaments in the World Golf Championships. He has also won the Waste Management Phoenix Open twice. On the Japan Golf Tour, he has won eight times. He also won the Asian Amateur Championship twice. Most recently, he won the FedEx St. Jude Championship. With 11 wins on the PGA Tour, he is the most successful Japanese golfer ever on that tour.

In 2012, Hideki was ranked number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. As a professional, he reached his highest ranking of second in the Official World Golf Ranking in June 2017.

Becoming a Golfer: Early Life and Amateur Days

Hideki Matsuyama was born in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan, on February 25, 1992. He started playing golf when he was just four years old, taught by his father. When he was in eighth grade, he moved to Meitoku Gijuku Junior & Senior High School. He did this to find a better place to practice and improve his golf skills.

Hideki went to Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai. In 2010, he won the Asian Amateur Championship. This win 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 who made it to the final rounds of the tournament. Just one week after this, he finished 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 2011 World University Games. He also helped the Japan team win the gold medal in the team event. In October 2011, he won the Asian Amateur Championship again, defending his title. 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.

Turning Pro: Hideki's Professional Journey

2013: First Steps as a Pro

Hideki became a professional golfer in April 2013. He quickly won his second professional tournament, the 2013 Tsuruya Open, on the Japan Golf Tour. 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 moved into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. 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 also made him the first rookie to lead the Japan Tour's money list, meaning he earned the most money that year.

2014: First PGA Tour Win

In 2014, Hideki qualified for the PGA Tour. He had played well in seven PGA Tour events as a non-member, with six top-25 finishes. This included a tie for sixth place at the 2013 Open Championship.

Hideki got his first PGA Tour win at the 2014 Memorial Tournament. He beat Kevin Na in a playoff. This win moved him to his highest ranking yet, 13th, in the Official World Golf Ranking. 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.

Hideki also won his sixth Japan Golf Tour event late in 2014. In November, he won the Dunlop Phoenix in a playoff against Hiroshi Iwata.

2015: Strong Major Performance

Hideki finished fifth at the 2015 Masters Tournament. This was his best finish in a major championship at that time. He ended the year 16th in the FedEx Cup standings. From October 8–11, he played for the International Team in the 2015 Presidents Cup. He had a record of two wins, one loss, and one tie.

2016: Multiple Big Wins

On February 7, 2016, Hideki won the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He won in a playoff against Rickie Fowler on the fourth extra hole. This victory moved him to 12th in the Official World Golf Ranking, his highest ranking so far.

On October 16, 2016, Hideki won the Japan Open Golf Championship by three strokes. This was his first time winning his home country's national open. It was also his seventh win in Japan. This title meant Hideki had won four of the five biggest events on the Japan Golf Tour.

On October 30, 2016, Hideki won the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai. This tournament is sometimes called "Asia's Major." Hideki became the first Asian golfer to win a World Golf Championship since they started in 1999. After this win, Hideki moved up to number 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking. This was the second highest ranking ever for a Japanese male golfer. He later reached fifth in the world after the Farmers Insurance Open. On November 13, 2016, Hideki won his second Taiheiyo Masters. He had won it before as a 19-year-old amateur in 2011. He won by seven shots over South Korea's Song Young-han. On December 4, 2016, Hideki won the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

2016 Olympics: A Difficult Choice

Even though he was the highest-ranked male Japanese golfer, Hideki decided not to play in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He was worried about the Zika virus. Many other top golfers also chose not to play for the same reason.

2017: Reaching New Heights

When Hideki returned to the Waste Management Phoenix Open, he again went into a playoff to defend his title. This time, he played against Webb Simpson. On the fourth playoff hole, Hideki made a birdie to win the tournament for the second year in a row. After finishing second in the 2017 U.S. Open, Hideki reached second place in the Official World Golf Ranking. This was his highest ranking ever and the highest for any Japanese male golfer.

The 2017 season was a very successful year for Hideki. He won three PGA Tour titles, including his first World Golf Championship. He also finished second three times in his first 15 events. He earned a lot of money, placing him second on the money list behind Dustin Johnson before July. He then won the 2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August. He shot an amazing score of 61 in the final round, tying the course record, and won by five strokes.

At the 2017 PGA Championship, Hideki started strong with scores of 70 and 64. He shared the lead after 36 holes with Kevin Kisner.

2019: Presidents Cup

In December 2019, Hideki played for the International team in the 2019 Presidents Cup. This event was held at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia. The U.S. team won the Cup, 16–14. Hideki's personal record was two wins, one loss, and one tie. He tied his Sunday singles match against Tony Finau.

2021: Masters Champion!

On April 11, 2021, Hideki Matsuyama won the Masters Tournament. This was a huge moment! He became the first Japanese player and the first Asian-born player to ever win this famous tournament. He finished with a total score of 278, which was 10 strokes under par. He won by one shot over Will Zalatoris. After Hideki won, his caddie, Shota Hayafuji, showed respect by bowing to the 18th fairway at Augusta National Golf Club.

In August, Hideki tied for third place at the Olympic Games. He then lost in a playoff for the bronze medal against six other players. 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 when Abraham Ancer made a birdie on the second extra hole.

In October 2021, Hideki won the Zozo Championship at Narashino Country Club. This is the only PGA Tour event held in Japan. Hideki won by five strokes over Cameron Tringale and Brendan Steele.

2022: Another Playoff Win

On January 16, 2022, Hideki won the Sony Open in Hawaii. He came back from being five shots behind on the last nine holes to get into a playoff with Russell Henley. Hideki made an eagle on the first extra hole to win. This was his eighth win on the PGA Tour. It tied him with K. J. Choi for the most tour victories by an Asian-born player.

On June 2, 2022, at the Memorial Tournament, Hideki was disqualified during his first round. This happened because there was a white paint-like substance on the face of his 3-wood. His equipment technician had put it there to help with alignment.

Hideki qualified for the International team at the 2022 Presidents Cup. He won one match, tied one, and lost three out of the five matches he played.

2024: Olympic Medal and More Wins

On February 18, 2024, Hideki won the Genesis Invitational. He started the final round six strokes behind the leader. But he played an amazing round of 62 to win his first PGA Tour event since the 2022 Sony Open in Hawaii. Hideki's score was the second-lowest ever recorded on that course. It was also the lowest score in the final round of a tournament at Riviera Country Club.

In August, Hideki won the bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games. He finished two shots behind the gold medalist, Scottie Scheffler, and one shot behind the silver medalist, Tommy Fleetwood. His score was 267, which was 17 strokes under par. Later that month, he won the FedEx St. Jude Championship by two strokes. His score was 263, 17 strokes under par. Hideki almost lost a five-shot lead in the final round. But he made birdies on the last two holes to get his 10th victory on the PGA Tour.

2025: Breaking Records

In January, Hideki won The Sentry, finishing three strokes ahead of Collin Morikawa. His winning score of 35-under 257 broke the PGA Tour scoring record compared to par. The previous record was 34-under total, set by Cameron Smith in 2022, also at The Sentry.

Life Outside Golf

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

After winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August 2024, Hideki was robbed in London. This happened while he was on a layover on his way to Memphis, Tennessee. His wallet was stolen, and his caddie and coach had their passports stolen. Luckily, Hideki's Olympic medal was not stolen.

Hideki's Amateur Wins

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

Professional Wins: A Champion's List (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 wins – 1 loss)

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 wins – 0 losses)

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: Big Wins

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
Masters Tournament T32 T13 1 T14 T16 T38
PGA Championship T16 T22 T23 T60 T29 T35
U.S. Open T21 T17 T26 4 T32 6
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 Championships

Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 1 0 0 2 3 8 13 12
PGA Championship 0 0 0 2 2 6 12 12
U.S. Open 0 1 0 2 4 8 12 11
The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 1 4 10 7
Totals 1 1 0 6 10 26 47 42
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 18 (2020 PGA – 2024 Open Championship, current)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (2013 U.S. Open – 2013 Open Championship)

Playing in The Players Championship

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

     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: Global Success

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 T24 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 Journey: A Look at His Career

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

Playing for the Team: Hideki's Team Events

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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