Hideki Matsuyama (Japanese: 松山 英樹, romanized: Matsuyama Hideki; IPA: [ma̠t͡sɨja̠ma̠ çide̞kʲi]; born 25 February 1992) is a Japanese professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He is the first Japanese golfer to win a men's major golf championship – the 2021 Masters Tournament.
As of January 2025, Matsuyama has 20 worldwide wins, an Olympic bronze medal, ten career top-10 finishes in major championships, and six Presidents Cup appearances. Matsuyama is a two-time winner of tournaments in the World Golf Championships, two-time winner of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, eight-time Japan Golf Tour winner, two-time winner of the Asian Amateur Championship, and most recently winner of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. His 11 wins on the PGA Tour make him the most successful Japanese member of the PGA Tour in history.
Matsuyama was ranked first in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in 2012. As a professional, he has been ranked as high as second in the Official World Golf Ranking, doing so in June 2017.
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Early life and amateur career
Matsuyama was born on 25 February 1992 in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan. He was introduced to golf at the age of four by his father. During eighth grade, he transferred to Meitoku Gijuku Junior & Senior High School in Kochi Prefecture, in search of a better golf environment.
Matsuyama studied at Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai. He won the 2010 Asian Amateur Championship with a score of 68-69-65-67=269. This gave him the chance to compete as an amateur in the 2011 Masters Tournament, becoming the first Japanese amateur to do so. At the Masters, Matsuyama was the leading amateur and won the Silver Cup, which is presented to the lowest scoring amateur. He was the only amateur to make the cut. A week after his victory, he finished in a tie for third at the Japan Open Golf Championship, which is an event on the Japan Golf Tour.
In 2011, Matsuyama won the gold medal at the 2011 World University Games. He also led the Japan team to the gold medal in the team event. In October 2011, he also successfully defended his title at the Asian Amateur Championship. In November, Matsuyama won the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters on the Japan Golf Tour while still an amateur.
In August 2012, Matsuyama reached number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Professional career
Japan Golf Tour
Matsuyama turned professional in April 2013 and won his second professional tournament, the 2013 Tsuruya Open on the Japan Golf Tour. Five weeks later, Matsuyama won his third title on the Japan Golf Tour at the Diamond Cup Golf tournament. Following a top 10 finish at the 2013 U.S. Open, Matsuyama entered the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He won his fourth Japan Golf Tour event in September at the Fujisankei Classic. Matsuyama would win his fifth Japan Golf Tour event in December at the Casio World Open. The win also made Matsuyama the first rookie to lead the Japan Tour's money list.
PGA Tour
For 2014, Matsuyama qualified for the PGA Tour through non-member earnings. In just seven PGA Tour-sanctioned events, Matsuyama had six top-25 finishes, including a T-6 at the 2013 Open Championship.
Matsuyama earned his first PGA Tour win at the 2014 Memorial Tournament, beating Kevin Na in a playoff and moving to a career-high OWGR ranking of 13th. The win was the first for a Japanese player since Ryuji Imada in 2008. In his first full season as a PGA tour member, he finished 28th in the FedEx Cup standings.
Matsuyama would win his sixth Japan Golf Tour event late in the 2014 season. In November, the victory came at the Dunlop Phoenix in a playoff over Hiroshi Iwata.
Matsuyama finished fifth at the 2015 Masters Tournament, the best major finish of his career to that point. He finished 16th in the FedEx Cup standings. In 8–11 October, he played for the International Team in the 2015 Presidents Cup and went 2–1–1 (win–loss–half).
On 7 February 2016, Matsuyama won the Waste Management Phoenix Open in a playoff with Rickie Fowler. He secured his victory on the fourth hole. The win moved him to 12th in the Official World Golf Ranking, the highest in his career.
On 16 October 2016, Matsuyama captured the Japan Open by three strokes over Yuta Ikeda and Lee Kyoung-hoon. The win was Matsuyama's first title at his country's national open and his seventh victory in Japan. The title gives Matsuyama victories in four of the Japan Golf Tour's five ¥200,000,000 events.
On 30 October 2016, Matsuyama followed up his Japan Open triumph by winning the WGC-HSBC Champions, colloquially known as "Asia's Major", in Shanghai. Matsuyama became the first Asian golfer to claim a World Golf Championship since the series was inaugurated in 1999. With the victory, Matsuyama rose to number 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking, his highest position and the second highest ever by a Japanese player after Masashi Ozaki, who achieved a ranking of fifth. He later moved up to fifth in the world after the Farmers Insurance Open. On 13 November 2016, Matsuyama won his second Taiheiyo Masters, following his victory as a 19-year-old amateur in 2011. He romped to a seven-shot win over South Korea's Song Young-han. On 4 December 2016, Matsuyama won the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
Personal life
Matsuyama and his wife Mei (married in January 2017) have a daughter born in July 2017.
After winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August 2024, Matsuyama became the victim of a robbery in London, while in the city during a layover to Memphis, Tennessee for the FedEx St. Jude Championship. His wallet was stolen, and both his caddie and his coach had their passports stolen. Matsuyama's Olympic medal was not among the stolen items.
Amateur wins
2010 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
2011 Japan Collegiate Championship, World University Games, Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
2012 Japan Collegiate Championship
Professional wins (21)
PGA Tour wins (11)
1Co-sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour, but unofficial event on that tour.
PGA Tour playoff record (4–2)
Japan Golf Tour wins (8)
Japan Golf Tour playoff record (2–0)
Other wins (2)
Other playoff record (1–0)
Major championships
Results timeline
Results not in chronological order in 2020.
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
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
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
Results timeline
Results not in chronological order before 2015.
1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
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
* 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, 2026
World Cup (representing Japan): 2016