Hideki Matsuyama had a tremendous Olympic experience in Paris, winning the bronze medal at Le Golf National and earning another great honor in a career that includes the 2021 Masters victory.
However, on the way out of Paris and back to the United States to start the FedEx Cup playoffs, Matsuyama, his caddie and coach were robbed in London.
Matsuyama was robbed of his wallet in the stopover in England, but caddie Shota Hayato and coach Mikihito Kuromiya were robbed of their travel documents, including their passports and visas. As a result, both Hayato and Kuromiya had to return to Japan to request expedited travel documents so they could travel to the United States.
Unfortunately for Matsuyama and his team, that makes it impossible for them to get to Memphis in time for the FedEx St. Jude Championship this week. It also appears that the FedEx Cup No. 8, who is going to make it through the three-event series, will not have his caddie or coach for the second playoff event, the 50-player BMW Championship, set to be played in Colorado this year at Castle Pines.
“There’s a chance they’ll make it [to Colorado], but we have to go into it thinking it’s close to zero,” Matsuyama told Golf Digest Japan.
For Matsuyama, that means a change in routine and perhaps a change in approach for the first two playoff events.
"I'm going to play golf as if I went back to the way I was before I had a coach,” Matsuyama told Japanese press at TPC Southwind, host of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. "I feel like all the responsibility is on me. I'm looking forward to that for the first time in a while."
As for a substitute caddie, Matsuyama will work with Taiga Tabuchi, who caddies for fellow Japanese tour pro Ryo Hisatsune. Hisatsune did not qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs despite a valiant T-3 effort at last week's Wyndham Championship.
“I’m glad he accepted,” said Matsuyama. “He’s worked with Hisatsune this year, so I think he knows the ropes, and he can speak English, so I can rely on him.”
Matsuyama added, "I want to pass on to him (caddie Tabuchi) what I've cultivated with Shota (Hayato) on the course."
