Hideki Matsuyama

Exempt status

• PGA TOUR: Winner, World Golf Championships (thru 2021-22)

JOINED TOUR

• PGA TOUR: 2013

PGA TOUR Victories (5)

• 2014 the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance
• 2016 Waste Management Phoenix Open
• 2017 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, Waste Management Phoenix Open, World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational

International Victories (8)

• 2011 Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo [Jpn]
• 2013 Tsuruya Open [Jpn]
• 2013 Diamond Cup Golf [Jpn]
• 2013 Fujisankei Classic [Jpn]
• 2013 Casio World Open [Jpn]
• 2014 Dunlop Phoenix [Jpn]
• 2016 Japan Open Golf Championship [Jpn]
• 2016 Taiheiyo Masters [Jpn]

Additional Victories (1)

• 2016 Hero World Challenge

PLAYOFF RECORD

PGA TOUR (3-0)

• 2014 Defeated Kevin Na, the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance
• 2016 Defeated Rickie Fowler, Waste Management Phoenix Open
• 2017 Defeated Webb Simpson, Waste Management Phoenix Open

National Teams

• 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 Presidents Cup
• 2016 World Cup
• 2008, 2012 Eisenhower Trophy

Personal

• Learned golf from his father, a former club champion.
• Was a student at Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai, Japan when the city was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, but was in Australia training at the time. Returned to find his dorm room destroyed and struggled to find food. A few weeks later, made his debut at the Masters having won the Asian Amateur.
• Wore buttons at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2016 to show support for Japan after the Kumamoto earthquakes in April 2016.

Special Interests

• All sports, photography

CURRENT YEAR HIGHLIGHTS

• World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship: Finished T6 at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship, his first top-10 at the event and first in a WGC since winning the 2017 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
• The Genesis Invitational: Made a birdie on the 18th hole in the second round of The Genesis Invitational to make the cut on the number and went on to finish T5. Marked the first event of his career at which he started the third round outside the top 50 and finished in the top five.
• ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP: In the first PGA TOUR event in his home country, finished second at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. At 16-under 264, recorded his second career 72-hole score of 264 or better (first: 264/2017 World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational). Played the par-4s in 6-under, tied with Shane Lowry for best in the field.
• THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES: Shot a final-round 65 to tie Gary Woodland and Cameron Smith for third at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES in his second start at the event. Marked his 16th career top-three result.

Career Highlights

2020 Season

• World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship: Finished T6 at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship, his first top-10 at the event and first in a WGC since winning the 2017 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
• The Genesis Invitational: Made a birdie on the 18th hole in the second round of The Genesis Invitational to make the cut on the number and went on to finish T5. Marked the first event of his career at which he started the third round outside the top 50 and finished in the top five.
• ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP: In the first PGA TOUR event in his home country, finished second at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. At 16-under 264, recorded his second career 72-hole score of 264 or better (first: 264/2017 World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational). Played the par-4s in 6-under, tied with Shane Lowry for best in the field.
• THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES: Shot a final-round 65 to tie Gary Woodland and Cameron Smith for third at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES in his second start at the event. Marked his 16th career top-three result.

2019 Season

Qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs and advanced to the TOUR Championship for the sixth time in his sixth season as a member, finishing tied for ninth in the FedExCup standings. Was one of three players to advance to the TOUR Championship in each season from 2013-14 to 2018-19, joining Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed. Recorded seven top-10s, highlighted by a solo-third at the BMW Championship, and made 22 cuts in 24 starts.

• BMW Championship: Posted two rounds of 63 en route to a third-place finish at the BMW Championship. Held a one-stroke lead after 36 holes, but entered the final round 10 shots back. Fired second 63 of the week (second round) to finish alone in third, five shots behind winner Justin Thomas. Totaled 369'1" putts made for the tournament. Entered the week No. 33 in the FedExCup standings and moved to No. 15, securing sixth consecutive start in the TOUR Championship.
• the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide: Highlighted by a third-round 64, finished sixth at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. Represented fourth top-15 in six starts at Muirfield Village.
• THE PLAYERS Championship: Finished T8 in his sixth start at THE PLAYERS Championship, marking his second top-10 in the event.
• Genesis Open: Posted final-round 67 for a 7-under total en route to a T9 result at the Genesis Open after sitting T36 through 54 holes.
• Farmers Insurance Open: Finished T3 at the Farmers Insurance Open. Moved 73 spots in the FedExCup, the largest move by a player for the week (No. 114 to No. 41). Marked his best finish on TOUR since his 2017 win at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

2018 Season

Advanced to the TOUR Championship for the fifth time in fifth season as a member, finishing No. 13 in the FedExCup standings. Season included 18 made cuts in 21 starts, with four top-10s. Along with Tony Finau, was one of two players to finish in the top 15 at all four FedExCup Playoffs events.

• TOUR Championship: Matched Rickie Fowler for the low score of the final round with a 5-under 65 to finish T4 at the TOUR Championship, five strokes behind champion Tiger Woods. Marked his best result in five appearances at the season-ending event. His second-round 66 was the only bogey-free round of the tournament.
• Dell Technologies Championship: Closed with a 6-under 65 to finish T4 at the Dell Technologies Championship, four strokes behind champion Bryson DeChambeau.
• the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide: Shared first-round lead at the Memorial Tournament with Abraham Ancer and Joaquin Niemann after opening with 7-under 65 en route to a T13 result. Six-under stretch (B-B-B-B-E) on Nos. 13-17 in round one included eagle-2 at the par-4 17th (gap wedge/137 yards) to become the seventh player in tournament history to eagle No. 17, and first since Bubba Watson (2009/R2).
• Waste Management Phoenix Open: In search of a three-peat at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, withdrew before his second-round tee time due to a left wrist injury.
• Sentry Tournament of Champions: Finished T4 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, closing with a bogey-free final-round 66. In his third start at the winners-only event at The Plantation Course at Kapalua, recorded his third top-four finish.
• Hero World Challenge: Finished T5 at the Hero World Challenge in his attempt to become the second player to win the event in back-to-back seasons (Tiger Woods/2006-07). At 11-under-par 277, finished seven strokes behind champion Rickie Fowler.
• CIMB Classic: A year after finishing runner-up to Justin Thomas, finished T5 at the CIMB Classic in his season debut. His third-round 63 matched the low round of the tournament.

2017 Season

Advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs for the fourth consecutive time in his career and headed into the Playoffs in the No. 1 position. Poor form in the four Playoffs events dropped him to No. 8 when the season concluded. Made 20 cuts in 22 starts for the season in which he claimed three victories and three runner-up finishes among his seven top-10 results. First win of the season came at WGC-HSBC Champions, claiming victory by a seven-stroke margin and becoming the first Asian player to win a World Golf Championships event. Defended his Waste Management Phoenix Open title in a playoff over Webb Simpson. Third win came with a final-round 61 at Firestone CC for a five-stroke victory over Zach Johnson at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

• Presidents Cup: Represented the International Team in his third consecutive Presidents Cup, with a 1-2-1 record at Liberty National. Highlight was shooting an estimated 9-under to defeat Justin Thomas 3 and 1 in Sunday Singles match. Paired with rookie Adam Hadwin to halve with Jordan Spieth/Patrick Reed in day two Four-ball match.
• Dell Technologies Championship: Posted a stretch of seven birdies in eight holes during the final round of the Dell Technologies Championship en route to final-round 6-under 65 for a T4 finish at TPC Boston.
• THE NORTHERN TRUST: Entered the week with the lead in the FedExCup, but missed the cut at THE NORTHERN TRUST to drop to No. 4 in the standings headed to TPC Boston.
• PGA Championship: Finished T5 (three strokes behind Justin Thomas) at the PGA Championship for his seventh top-10 finish in 21 major championship starts. Marked fifth consecutive finish inside the top 15 in his last five major starts. Maintained his lead atop the FedExCup standings, holding a 180-point lead over Justin Thomas with just one event left before the FedExCup Playoffs began. Marked the 12th week he has held the lead during the season. Was seeking to become the first player from Japan to win a major championship. He (T2 at the 2017 U.S. Open) and Isao Aoki (2nd at the 1980 U.S. Open) currently have the best finish by a player from Japan. In addition, came close to becoming the 12th player since 1934 to win a major championship the week after winning a PGA TOUR event, having won the week prior at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. Making his fifth PGA Championship start, owns two straight top-five finishes.
• World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational: In his 100th start on the PGA TOUR, posted 9-under 61 in the final round at Firestone CC to finish 16-under 264 and secure his fifth TOUR title, and third of the season. Final round included an eagle at the par-5 second hole, along with seven birdies, including three straight to close the round and win the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational by five strokes over Zach Johnson. At 25 he earned the 25th win by a player in his 20s on TOUR in the season. Regained the No. 1 position in the FedExCup standings which he had held for a total of 10 weeks earlier in the season. Final-round 61 marked his career-low round on TOUR, bettering previous-best 63 by two strokes (63/R3/2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open, 63/R2/2015 BMW Championship). Was also the lowest final-round score, by three strokes, in any World Golf Championships event and matched the 18-hole record at the Bridgestone Invitational (Tiger Woods/R2/2000, Tiger Woods/R2/2013, Sergio Garcia/R2/2014). Became one of 12 players with multiple victories in World Golf Championships and joined Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson with more than one WGC win in the same season. Also became first player from Japan to win the Bridgestone Invitational and the seventh international winner of the Akron event. Extended his record as the Japanese player with the most PGA TOUR wins.
• U.S. Open: Closed with a 6-under 66 to finish T2 for his best finish in his fifth appearance at the U.S. Open at Erin Hills. Also shot 65 in the second round, one of a record five players (Paul Casey, Chez Reavie, Patrick Reed, Justin Thomas) to post 65 or better during the week. Performance moved him to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking, the highest position for a player from Japan.
• Waste Management Phoenix Open: Started his title defense at the Waste Management Phoenix Open with a bogey-free 6-under 65 in round one and stayed close to the lead with back-to-back rounds of 68 to enter Sunday in a tie for third. Closed the gap with an eagle at the third hole and birdies at the fifth and 13th holes, then took the solo lead with a birdie at the 15th before narrowly missing a 25-foot putt for the win in regulation at the 72nd hole. Went into a playoff with Webb Simpson at 17-under 267, where each recorded pars on the first three extra holes, before Matsuyama drained a putt from 10'6" to record his second consecutive victory at the event and his fourth career PGA TOUR title. In doing so, became the first Japanese player to earn four victories on the PGA TOUR, breaking out of a tie with Shigeki Maruyama.
• SBS Tournament of Champions: Recorded a final-round, 3-under 70 to finish solo-second at the SBS Tournament of Champions, three strokes behind Justin Thomas. Marked his sixth top-two finish in his last six starts worldwide, with both runner-up efforts coming at the hands of Thomas. Marked the third runner-up finish of his PGA TOUR career (2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open, 2016 CIMB Classic, 2017 SBS Tournament of Champions). His 70 on Sunday snapped a streak of 13 consecutive rounds in the 60s on TOUR dating to his second-round 71 at the TOUR Championship.
• Hero World Challenge: Second- and third-round leader posted a final-round 1-over 73 to win the Hero World Challenge by two strokes over Henrik Stenson. Entered the final round with a seven-stroke cushion over Stenson and Dustin Johnson, tying Jordan Spieth (2014) for the largest 54-hole lead in tournament history. The victory came in his third start at the Hero World Challenge (13th-2014, T17-2015, Won-2016) and was his fourth victory in his last five worldwide starts (non-team events).
• ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf: Finished T6 at the ISPS HANDA World Cup with teammate Ryo Ishikawa on the Japan team at Kingston Heath Golf Club in Australia in late-November.
• World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions: Began the final round of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions with a three-shot lead over Russell Knox and birdied six holes against zero bogeys to defeat Henrik Stenson and Daniel Berger by seven shots, the largest margin of victory in HSBC Champions history. Recorded 29 birdies over the week and played his last 45 holes bogey free. Marked his third victory on the PGA TOUR at the age of 24 years, 8 months, 5 days. Became the first Japanese golfer and first player from Asia to win a World Golf Championships event. Earned 550 FedExCup points to take the lead in the standings for the first time in his career.
• CIMB Classic: Posted a bogey-free, 6-under 66 in the final round of the CIMB Classic to finish solo-second to champion Justin Thomas at 20-under 268. Birdied his last two holes Sunday to claim the runner-up finish in his first start of the season. Began the final round at TPC Kuala Lumpur trailing 54-hole leader Anirban Lahiri by five strokes, before finishing three strokes behind Thomas. With the runner-up, moved into the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career.

2016 Season

Advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs for the third consecutive time in his career, making it to the TOUR Championship each time. Entered the Playoffs finale in the No. 17 position in the FedExCup standings and finished fifth at East Lake to end his season No. 13 in the FedExCup standings. Recorded 14 top-25 finishes from 23 starts. Of those, five were top-five showings, including a win at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

• Dunlop Phoenix: At the Japan Golf Tour's Dunlop Phoenix in November, had a strong outing after opening with a 1-under 70. Fired a second-round 68 and was tied for 11th at the halfway mark, three shots behind leaders Yoshinori Fujimoto and Thanyakon Khrongpha. Despite a 4-under 67 Saturday, fell four shots behind Yusaku Miyazato with a round to play. Matched his 67 on the final day only to come up to shots shy of Miyazato's winning 14-under total. Settled for a T2 with Fujimoto.
• Taiheiyo Masters: At 23-under-par 265, recorded a dominating seven-stroke victory at the Taiheiyo Masters, held at the base of Mount Fiji in Japan. The win, featuring the same margin of victory as his win in his last start at the WGC-HSBC Champions, marked his third win in his last four starts worldwide.
• Japan Open Golf Championship: At 5-under 275, including a final-round 1-under 69, won the Japan Open Golf Championship in mid-October by three strokes over Yuta Ikeda and Lee Kyoung-hoon. Carried a one-stroke lead into the final round over Ikeda and Lee following a third-round 65. It marked his first major title on the Japan Golf Tour.
• TOUR Championship: Shared the first-round lead with Dustin Johnson and Kevin Chappell at the TOUR Championship after firing 4-under 66 in the opening round, his low round at East Lake in 12 trips around the layout.
• Wyndham Championship: In his fourth start in the Wyndham Championship, finished T3, highlighted by a second-round 64, his low round of the season. Marked his seventh top-10 of the season. Entered the week 19th in the FedExCup Standings and moved to 12th heading into the FedExCup Playoffs.
• PGA Championship: Posted four rounds in the 60s at the PGA Championship at Baltusrol GC to claim a share of fourth place with Branden Grace and Brooks Koepka. Birdied the par-5 18th hole all four rounds en route to his 9-under 271 total.
• THE PLAYERS Championship: Teed off in the final pairing of the final round at TPC Sawgrass alongside eventual-champion Jason Day seeking to become the first player from Japan to win THE PLAYERS Championship. Was 3-over after three holes, eventually posting 73 to finish T7 at 9-under. Third-round 5-under 67 was one of just three rounds in the 60s (65/Ken Duke, 69/Graeme McDowell) on a day where the scoring average was above 75.
• Masters Tournament: A year after claiming fifth-place honors at the Masters, returned to Augusta National, where he found himself once again in contention. At 1-under 215 through 54 holes, trailed Jordan Spieth by just two strokes. A final-round, 1-over 73 resulted in a T7 with Soren Kjeldsen and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
• Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard: Third top-10 of the season came at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, where four under-par rounds led to a 72-hole score of 11-under 277, good for T6 honors. Only previous appearance at the Arnold Palmer Invitational led to a T21 finish (2015).
• Waste Management Phoenix Open: Began the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open trailing Danny Lee by three strokes. Sank a clutch birdie on the 72nd hole at TPC Scottsdale to force sudden death with Rickie Fowler. On the fourth extra hole, the par-4 17th, took advantage of Fowler's errant tee shot into the hazard with a par to claim his second career PGA TOUR victory. The win came on the heels of a T2 finish in 2015 and T4 finish in 2014 in the event.
• CIMB Classic: Following a T17 in the season-opening Frys.com Open, recorded his first top-10 of the season, at the CIMB Classic, finishing fifth for his best showing in Malaysia in three starts.

2015 Season

Advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs, thanks to nine top-10 finishes in 25 starts. Made his way through all four events in the Playoffs and ended his season ranked 16th in the FedExCup standings.

• Presidents Cup: Went 2-1-1 in his four Presidents Cup matches in the International team's 15½-14½ loss in South Korea.
• BMW Championship: Posted a final-round, 5-under 66 to finish T7 at the BMW Championship in the third FedExCup Playoffs event, nine strokes behind winner Jason Day. Week was highlighted by a second-round, 8-under 63. It marked his ninth top-10 finish on TOUR for the season.
• Dunlop Fukushima Open: On the Japan Golf Tour in August, earned a top-10 at the Dunlop Fukushima Open, shooting a final-round 64 to T9.
• the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide: As the defending champion, opened the Memorial Tournament with an 8-under 64 to share the first-round lead. Followed with rounds of 71-71-70 to finish at 13-under for a three-way T5.
• Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial: Finished T10 at the 2014 Crowne Plaza Invitational in the only other occasion.
• Masters Tournament: Finished fifth at the Masters Tournament to record his first top-25 in four starts at Augusta National. Notched his third top-10 in a major championship with the others coming at the 2013 U.S. Open (T10) and the 2013 Open Championship (T6).
• Northern Trust Open: Finished T4 with three others at the Northern Trust Open after firing a 4-under 67 in the final round, missing on the James Hahn-Dustin Johnson-Paul Casey playoff by a stroke. It was his fifth top-10 of the season.
• Waste Management Phoenix Open: Temporarily got to 15-under on the inward nine Sunday to take the outright lead at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. A bogey at No. 14 proved too costly, and he was unable to recover. At 14-under 270, he finished T2 with Ryan Palmer and Bubba Watson. Made the highlight reel Sunday with a hole-out for an eagle-2 from 129 yards on the first hole. The appearance at TPC Scottsdale was his second consecutive, having finished T4 in 2014.
• Hyundai Tournament of Champions: Entered the final round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions tied with Jimmy Walker, at 17-under 202. Finished T3 in his first start at the event. Followed a third-round, 7-under-66 (his second consecutive 66) with a final-round 70 that left him one stroke out of the Patrick Reed-Jimmy Walker playoff. Missed a 6-foot, 10-inch birdie putt on the 72nd hole that would have placed him in the extra session. Marked the second time that he has led or shared the lead through 54 holes of a PGA TOUR event.
• Frys.com Open: For the second consecutive year, claimed a T3 at the Frys.com Open, this time finishing three strokes behind champion Sangmoon Bae. Birdies at the 71st and 72nd holes resulted in the T3.

2014 Season

First full PGA TOUR season included 20 made cuts in 24 starts, with a victory at the Memorial Tournament and a T3 finish at the Frys.com Open marking the best of his four top-10 finishes. Ended the season No. 28 in the FedExCup standings. Closed out the season by advancing all the way to the final Playoffs event, finishing T30 at The Barclays, T57 at the Deutsche Bank Championship, T20 at the BMW Championship and 22nd at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.

• the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance: Won first career title, at the Memorial Tournament. In his 26th TOUR start, supplanted Tiger Woods as the event's youngest winner (22 years, 3 months, 7 days). Began the final round two strokes back, birdied the par-4 18th hole for the fourth day in a row to force sudden death with Kevin Na. Na had posted his 13-under score nearly two hours earlier. In the playoff, made a par at No. 18, the first extra hole, for the win. Became the fourth Japanese-born player to win on TOUR, joining Ryuji Imada (2008 AT&T Classic), Shigeki Maruyama (2001 Greater Milwaukee Open, 2002 HP Byron Nelson Championship, 2003 Wyndham Championship) and Isao Aoki (1983 Sony Open in Hawaii). Became only the fifth player to make the Memorial Tournament his maiden PGA TOUR victory, joining Keith Fergus (1981), Kenny Perry (1991), Tom Lehman (1994) and Justin Rose (2010). Other than Roger Maltbie, who won the inaugural edition of the Memorial Tournament in 1976, is the first player to win the event in his first start. In his first experience competing in The Presidents Cup, Matsuyama went 1-3-1 at Muirfield Village GC in 2013. Became the eighth International player to win at Muirfield Village GC.
• Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial: Finished T10 in his first career start at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. For the first time on TOUR, held a share of the third-round lead but a final-round, 1-over 71 dropped him out of contention.
• Waste Management Phoenix Open: In just his 16th PGA TOUR start, and at age 21 years, 11 months, 8 days, finished T4 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in his attempt to supplant Jerry Pate (23 years, 3 months, 3 days) as the youngest winner at the event. He and champion, Kevin Stadler, were the only players to record all four rounds in the 60s during the week.
• Casio World Open: Took a two-shot lead into the final round of the Casio World Open. Led Koumei Oda and Yuta Ikeda. Shot a final-round, 2-under 70 on the final day to hold off Ikeda by a shot at Kochi Kuroshio CC. The victory was his fourth Japan Golf Tour title of the year and his fifth overall.
• Frys.com Open: After an opening-round, 1-under 70, closed with rounds of 66-68-66 for a T3 finish at the Frys.com Open, placing three strokes behind champion Jimmy Walker in his debut as a PGA TOUR member. Since making his first PGA TOUR professional start at the 2013 U.S. Open, the finish at CordeValle was his seventh consecutive top-25 performance.

2013 Season

Finished in the top 125 of the FedExCup points and money list as a non-member. Finished with 384 FedExCup points on the non-member points list, which would rank No. 125. Also finished with $771,640 in official money, including a World Golf Championship start, well ahead of No. 125 Greg Chalmers ($595,483). Will take up membership on the PGA TOUR for the 2013-14 season. Made the cut in all six of his starts as a professional to go with one missed cut as an amateur.

• Dunlop Phoenix: Finished T6 at the Dunlop Phoenix on the Japan Golf Tour in late-November 2013.
• Presidents Cup: Was 1-3-1 in his four Presidents Cup matches in his initial appearance in the biennial event.
• Wyndham Championship: Finished 15th at the Wyndham Championship on a sponsor exemption.
• Fujisankei Classic: Earned a third title of the campaign in early September despite shooting a final-round, 2-over 73 at the Fujisankei Classic. His Sunday struggles dropped him into a three-man playoff, with Hideto Tanihara and Sung-Joon Park. After the trio all parred the first playoff hole, he birdied the second extra hole to win his fourth career Japan Golf Tour title after squandering a four-stroke, 54-hole lead in Fujikawaguchiko.
• The Open Championship: Finished T6 at The Open Championship, the best showing of players making their first appearance at the event. It was his second top-10 finish of the season in a major, following his U.S. Open performance in June.
• Japan Golf Tour Championship Shishido Hills: Continued his solid campaign a week later, finishing T7 at the Japan Golf Tour Championship Shishido Hills. Opened and closed with a pair of 67s for his sixth Japan Golf Tour top-10 in as many starts.
• U.S. Open: At the U.S. Open qualifying in Japan, easily earned medalist honors (67-65) to outdistance Jung-Gon Hwang. Finished T10 at Merio GC, giving him the mark for the best finish by a player in the field making his U.S. Open debut. Week included a final-round, 3-under 67–Sunday's best score (along with Jason Dufner). Was hoping to become just the sixth player to win the U.S. Open in his first appearance (Horace Rawlins in 1895, Fred Herd in 1898, Harry Vardon in 1900, George Sargent in 1909 and Francis Ouimet in 1913).
• Diamond Cup Golf: Picked up his second win of the season when he was victorious at the Diamond Cup Golf. Entered the final round tied with veteran Tommy Nakajima at 8-under, shot a Sunday 71 and held on for a two-shot victory over Kim to take a commanding lead on the order of merit, over Kim.
• PGA Championship Nissin Cupnoodles Cup: Was close again in his next start. Finished T2 at the PGA Championship Nissin Cupnoodles Cup. Had a disappointing Sunday. Took a four-shot advantage over Yuki Kono entering the final round at Sobu CC. Stumbled badly over his final 18 holes, shooting a 4-over 75 to drop into a three-way T2, with Yoshinori Fujimoto and Hiroyuki Fujita, a stroke behind winner Hyung-Sung Kim.
• The Crowns: Appeared poised to win a second consecutive tournament, playing in The Crowns. Began the final round a stroke behind leader Michio Matsumura. Both players shot final-round 67s, with Matsumura winning by a stroke.
• Tsuruya Open: In his next start, earned his second Japan Golf Tour title when he captured the Tsuruya Open in April. Opened with a 69 at Yamanohara GC's Yamanohara Course. Followed with an 8-under 63 in the second round then added weekend scores of 68-66 to edge David Oh by one shot.
• Token Homemate Cup: In his first year as a professional, he quickly became one of the top players on the Japan Golf Tour, winning twice. Had a top-10 in his first start of the season, a T10 at the Token Homemate Cup. Recovered from a 75-74 showing in the second and third rounds to put together a 66 Sunday.

Amateur Highlights

• Entered the 2011 Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters. In the weather-shortened event, won his first professional title, playing his final 36 holes in 12-under to beat Toru Taniguchi by two shots. His second-round 64 is still his low 18-hole Japan Golf T
• Played in six Japan Golf Tour events in 2012, making the cut in all six. Despite limited playing schedule, had a pair of runner-up finishes. First came at the Sun Chlorella Classic. Opened with a 71 then peeled off rounds of 66-69-69 to T2, two shots behi
• Was second again in November, at the Dunlop Phoenix. Shot rounds of 70-67-69-67 to solo second, five shots short of winner Luke Donald.
• Had two other top-10s, at the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters (T4) and the Japan Open (T7).
• Successfully defended his Asia-Pacific Amateur title, again earning a trip to Augusta National for the Masters with his victory at Singapore Island CC.
• Won the 2010 Asia-Pacific Amateur, a triumph that earned him a playing position in the Masters Tournament. Finished at 15-under at Kasumigaseki CC in Kawagoe, Japan.
• Made his first Japan Golf Tour cut, finishing T30 at the 2009 Mitsubishi Diamond Cup Golf. A year later, he earned his first top-10 on the Tour, shooting four par-or-better rounds at the 2010 Japan Open to T3.