Golf is one of the most individual sports there is, as each athlete relies on himself for his results. But that doesn’t mean he is always alone.
Every player has at least one caddie on the course, and a coach typically travels to a tournament to provide additional guidance, but Hideki Matsuyama had neither available at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
All three men in Matsuyama’s camp were robbed in London earlier this week, and his caddie and coach lost their passports. As a result, they had to fly back to Japan while Matsuyama drove to Memphis, Tennessee, to compete.
Hideki Matsuyama gives some fans a high five on Saturday at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
“We didn’t even know it happened,” said Matsuyama said through an interpreter on Thursday. “We were having a social dinner and Shota was the first to ask, ‘Hey, where’s my bag?’ “Of course it was frustrating, but we didn’t really know it had happened. It just kind of happened all of a sudden.”
But the lack of supporting actors apparently didn’t take long for the golfer to notice after he stepped onto the course.
The Japanese superstar survived a rollercoaster final round that nearly blew a five-shot lead, but he turned things around to finish with a total of -17, hitting two consecutive birdies to secure the title.
That’s some mental strength. Normally the caddy would have been there to give him good advice. But Matsuyama had to rely on a substitute caddy and his experience to get the job done.
This is a well-deserved victory.
