Matsuyama glad he put off 'pro day'

Some might say that, at 22 years old and ranking 25th in the world, Hideki Matsuyama climbed rapidly into the game’s elite.

The truth is, Matsuyama took the patient route.

While fellow Japanese junior rival Ryo Ishikawa dived headfirst into the professional realm at age 16, Matsuyama chose the amateur and collegiate route. That meant a few years of seeing Ishikawa receive rock-star treatment, with his face on billboards and commercials while Matsuyama developed in relative peace.

“When I was in high school, seeing Ryo’s success, I really wanted to turn pro early,” Matsuyama said. “But after I made the decision to go to college and entered college and started playing college golf, I never looked back or had any regrets of not turning pro. I really have enjoyed immensely my college career.”

Matsuyama had to reluctantly pass on an invitation from Arnold Palmer to play Bay Hill to instead go home to Japan to attend graduation ceremonies at Tohoku Fukushi University.

While Ishikawa parlayed his teenage professional success into five Masters appearances (three on special exemptions from the club), Matsuyama has qualified to play Augusta three times himself, twice as winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, in 2010 and ’11.

The golfers are perfect illustrations of two very different routes to the same point.

“I guess we are rivals. There’s a rivalry,” Matsuyama said. “But we’re also friends, and there’s mutual respect between the two of us.”

The stated mission of Masters Chairman Billy Payne when helping establish the Asian amateur event was to “create heroes.” Matsuyama’s success came faster than anyone expected, and he relishes being a role model for other Asian amateurs.

“I take that role very seriously,” Matsu­yama said. “I will be eternally grateful to everyone at Augusta National for giving me the opportunity not only to play in the Asian amateur but to win it twice and be invited to play in the Masters twice. That has made a huge effect in my golf career, the opportunity they have given to me. Now to be able to go back as a professional, I hope that I’ll never forget the opportunity that was given to me as an amateur to come this far.”

Matsuyama made the cut in both of his previous Masters Tournaments, earning the silver medal for low amateur after finishing 27th in his debut in 2011. But after sitting out 2013 in the year he turned professional, he is proud of how quickly he returned.

“It has special meaning for me, especially this year, because I’m going back as a professional,” he said. “My No. 1 goal always as a professional has been to return to Augusta to play in the Masters as a professional. Whether it’s been faster than I had imagined? Maybe. But it’s always been my hope as a pro to return. To be able to do it now, I’m overjoyed.”

Matsuyama’s consistency as a professional is remarkable. Starting with his tie for 10th in last year’s U.S. Open at Merion, Matsuyama didn’t finish worse than 25th in 12 consecutive PGA Tour events, including a tie for sixth in the British Open at Muirfield and a tie for 19th in the PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

He did, however, withdraw from November’s WGC event in China with a bad back and February’s Honda Classic with a sore wrist he injured on the 17th hole in the first round.

Now carrying a full PGA Tour card, he has posted his best finishes as a tie for third in last fall’s Frys.com event and fourth in Phoenix. His only career hiccup was letting his temper get the best of him at Doral, slamming his club into the 13th green and leaving a crater that tournament officials had to repair.

That prompted a Twitter rebuke from Ian Poulter that Matsuyama, who tied for 34th, settled by apologizing the next morning in person to all of the affected players.

Now his focus turns to the Masters and other majors where he has already proved to be a threat.

“My goal now in golf is to win a major,” he said. “Whether it’s going to be at Augusta is yet to be seen. All I know is I’m going to go and do my best and hope I play well. The Masters was the first major I was ever able to play in and will always have a special place in my heart. That’s the one.”