Hideki Matsuyama of Japan plays a tee shot on the 12th hole during the first round of the 123rd US Open Championship at The Los Angeles Country Club in Los Angeles, California, the United States, on June 15. (AFP/Getty Images/David Cannon)
A bearded Hideki Matsuyama may well be the version of Hideki Matsuyama that the golfing world needs.
The Japanese superstar enters this week’s US Open, the year’s third major, at the prestigious Los Angeles Country Club with his facial hair on full display for a fourth successive tournament, and bookmakers may well start setting odds as to how long the beard will remain.
Already cemented in golfing history as Japan’s first male major champion when he triumphed at the 2021 Masters Tournament, Matsuyama recently displayed a lighter side of his personality that may well unlock his quest for more major silverware.
The 31-year-old was smiling and laughing during the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday when quizzed about his new look. The responses were refreshing, as Matsuyama is known for his stoic demeanor when speaking to the media. Perhaps he has learned that all work and no play makes Jack, or in this case, Hideki, a dull boy.
“I don't know why I let it grow out, but then everybody says, man, it looks really good, so I guess it might be here to stay,” Matsuyama explained with a grin through his interpreter.
And what’s the best part about having a beard?
“I don't have to shave it,” he laughed.
American golf writers were amused by Matsuyama’s easygoing nature as the Japanese competitor prepares for his 11th appearance at the US Open in the company of two-time US Open champion Brooks Koepka and reigning FedExCup winner Rory McIlroy in the opening two rounds.
He has three top-10s, missed only one cut and finished fourth at The Country Club after closing with a glorious 65 to finish three behind champion Matt Fitzpatrick last year. In 2017, Matsuyama posted a career best tied second at Erin Hills, and it was achieved during a highly successful season in which he won three times and rose to a career high number 2 on the Official World Golf Ranking.
Coincidently, that was also the year when Matsuyama was probably the happiest in his personal life, as he had tied the knot and become a father, which no one had an inkling of until he stunned the Japanese press corps with the announcement out of the blue.
“No one really asked me if I was married, so I didn't have to answer that question,” he said.
A nagging back and neck injury, however, has since proven to be bothersome for Matsuyama and is threatening to stop him from living up to his reputation as one of the hardest workers on the range. He has withdrawn from a handful of tournaments since picking up the injury at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2022 and has tinkered with his game and practice regime to avoid further aggravation.
Matsuyama’s last victory came in January of 2022 when he won the Sony Open in Hawaii to tie with K.J. Choi as the Asian golfer with the most wins at eight titles, but in recent months, he has shown glimpses of his best form again by finishing no lower than T29 in his last six stroke-play starts, including a solo fifth at The Players Championship in March.
“It's been a tough spell. I had an injury in my neck. Distance is down from where it was. But I'm working through it and hopefully will have a good summer,” Matsuyama said.
He offered a glimpse of the uncertainties he now faces with his physical concerns. Following a second round 65 at The Memorial, which he won in 2014 for his PGA Tour breakthrough, Matsuyama offered the following insights.
“I feel great,” he replied to a question about how he was doing physically. “You never know, though – tomorrow morning.”
Throughout the current 2022-2023 season, Matsuyama has remained cautiously optimistic that he can return to the winner’s enclosure again and stand out as the winningest Asian golfer on the PGA Tour.
“I think we are getting closer on what we were working on,” he said in March.
“Whether or not those changes will produce results or I can hit the ball the way I want to hit it, that will take some time. We also talk about the condition of my neck and how to put as little stress on it as possible.”
For years, Matsuyama, who is currently ranked 26th, stood out as the leading Asian in the Official World Golf Ranking, but he is now surpassed by Korea’s Sungjae Im (19th) and Tom Kim (22nd). He is also presently 58th on the FedExCup points list and needs to sustain his climb if he is to maintain the longest active streak of any player by qualifying for his 10th straight Playoffs Finale, the TOUR Championship, in late August which is exclusive to the top 30 golfers.
Perhaps the new look and a relaxed attitude are the ingredients that Matsuyama requires in his bid for a second major victory and ninth PGA Tour title. With Hollywood being a few miles away from this week’s venue, he may well rewrite his own script and emerge as a champion once again.
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The writer is senior director of marketing & communications APAC for the PGA Tour and is based in Malaysia.