Hideki Matsuyama’s return trip from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris did not go as planned.
Matsuyama, his caddie and his coach were robbed in London on their way back from France to play in the FedEx St. Jude Championship this week, the first stop in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Matsuyama’s wallet was stolen, but his passport and new Olympic bronze medal were not taken. His caddy Shota Hayato and his coach Mikihito Kuromiya had their passports and visas stolen.
So while Matsuyama continued on to Memphis, Hayato and Kuromiya had to fly back to Japan. They have requested an express passport and visa so they can return to the U.S. and join Matsuyama during the PGA Tour playoffs, but it is unclear when they will be able to do so.
“There is a chance they will make it (to next week’s tournament in Colorado), but we have to assume it is close to zero,” Matsuyama told Golf Digest Japan.
Instead, Matsuyama will have Taiga Tabuchi as his caddie this week in Tennessee. Tabuchi normally caddys fellow Japanese golfer Ryo Hisatsune.
“I’m glad he agreed,” Matsuyama said. “He worked with Hisatsune this year, so I think he knows what he’s doing. And he can speak English, so I can rely on him.”
Matsuyama has won nine times on the PGA Tour in his career. The former Masters champion also won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics earlier this month. He will enter this week’s TPC Southwind ranked 12th in the Official World Golf Ranking and eighth in the FedEx Cup standings.
The top 50 finishers this week will qualify for next week’s BMW Championship outside of Denver. The top 30 finishers from there will then advance to the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta to conclude the 2024 season.
