Hideki Matsuyama, in the aftermath of a robbery that forced his caddie and swing coach to abruptly return to Japan ahead of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, opened his FedEx St. Jude Championship by shooting a 5-under 65 at TPC Southwind in Memphis.
At the completion of a 100-degree day in Tennessee, Matsuyama sits in second place, one stroke back of hole-in-one specialist Chris Kirk.
Afterward, through a translator, the Paris Olympics bronze medalist recounted the incident, and how he kept his focus on the golf course.
What happened to Hideki Matsuyama?
Matsuyama was eating dinner during a lay over in London when his party's bags were taken. Matsuyama lost his wallet, he told Golf Digest Japan, while his caddie, Shota Hayato, and swing coach, Mikihito Kuromiya, had their travel documents stolen.
“We were just on our way back from Paris,” Matsuyama detailed after his first round in Memphis. “We were just going to spend one night in London, and it happened in downtown London.
“We didn't even know it happened. We were just having a friendly dinner, and Shota was the first one. ‘ Hey, where is my bag?' Of course it was frustrating, but we really didn't know it happened. It was just kind of all of a sudden. … He just took it and ran.”
Hayato and Kuromiya are hoping to expedite the paperwork process to return to the United States during the PGA Tour's postseason. The top 30 finishers in next week's BMW Championship in Colorado will advance to the Tour Championship (Aug. 29-Sep.1) in East Lake, Georgia.
“We're pushing hard, looking toward East Lake. Shota will make it, I think, but my coach probably won't,” Matusyama said.
Matsuyama is ranked no. 8 in the world and is projected to finish fourth in the FedEx Cup.
F0r the St. Jude, Matsuyama hired Taiga Tabuchi, who typically caddies for Ryo Hisatsune.
“Kind of reminded me of the first time Shota was on my bag,” Mastuyama said after a successful Round 1. “We kind of worked through a couple things. Really that was the main thing today is having teamwork with my caddie. Playing well, and I don't know how Shota is going to take it, but we'll work that out.” (He was joking.)
Matsuyama shoots 5-under 65
Matsuyama made the turn at 33, thanks to three birdies and a bogey on the front nine. As he did on the final round of his one 2024 PGA Tour victory, the Genesis Invitational, Matsuyama caught fire down the stretch.
The 2021 Masters winner surged to the top of the leaderboard with a string of four birdies in five holes, beginning at No. 12. (A bogey on the par-4 17th brought Matsuyama one back.)
Matsuyama carded seven birdies and two bogeys. He led the field in putting, putts per greens in regulation, and fewest feet of putts made (118.). He was second in strokes gained, despite rocky around-the-greens work.
Matsuyama downplayed his compartmentalization work.
“My job is the same. It's just play golf. I talk to my coach every night on the phone. I've got a great caddie. Taiga did a great job today, so we'll just see how it goes … I've forgotten it completely. It's not even an issue now.”
Matsuyama and Sahith Theegala (+1, 71) will tee off on Friday at 10:25 a.m. ET.
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