Augusta (United States) (AFP)
Imperial and historic: Hideki Matsuyama on Sunday became the first Japanese in history to triumph in a Grand Slam golf tournament, at the Augusta Masters in addition, where he ended up resisting tremendous pressure.
On the famous Georgian course, the 29-year-old golfer started his final round four strokes ahead.
He had only one, 18 holes later, on the American Will Zalatoris, author of a superb performance for his first participation.
Enough nevertheless to win this 85th edition, during which another American, 6th in the world, Xander Sc Chaudele, made him pitch at the end of the course, before cracking and finishing three lengths like Jordan Spieth in 3rd place. .
Succeeding the list of world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, who, as tradition has it, made him put on the famous green jacket, the 25th world player should make a significant leap in the heights of the rankings.
He now has six USPGA titles, including two WGC World Championships, which earned him a 2nd place finish in 2017.
But this victory is undoubtedly the most prestigious of all, rewarding a player as talented as discreet, who enjoyed the places of honor in the Majors (5th in the Masters 2015, 2nd in the US Open 2017, 4th in the PGA Championship 2016, 6th at the British Open 2013).
- "Pioneer" -
This coronation in Georgia is the first for a golfer coming from the "land of the rising sun", of which he was already a precursor, in that he was the first amateur of his country to take part in 2011 and the only one to spend there. the cut, then finishing 27th and winning the Silver Cup, awarded to the best non-professional in contention.
"I am really happy. I hope that I will be a pioneer in this matter and that many other Japanese will follow. I am happy to open the door," he said.
The day after his impressive takeover at the expense of the Englishman Justin Rose who finished 7th (-5), he made a solid first part of the course: after a bogey from the first hole, he s' is quickly taken back by making a birdie on the second.
He had two more at N.8 and N.9, increasing his lead to five lengths over Zalatoris.
Then, in the "back nine", Matsuyama almost agreed with observers who lent him a tendency to crack under pressure.
If he wiped out a bogey at 11 by birdie at 12, after being lucky enough to have his approach kicked back into the grass by a tree, he sent his ball into the river at 15 for a new bogey.
He also in search of a first major coronation, Xander Sc Chaudele, meanwhile chained his fourth birdie in a row and came back to two shots (-12 to -10).
But at the next hole it was the American who gave the Japanese some oxygen by drowning in turn the ball in the water, committing a terrible triple bogey which destroyed his ascent.
- "You make Japan proud" -
"I felt like I gave it a bit of a hard time and created a bit of excitement for the outcome of the tournament, until I encountered an aquatic grave," ScHotele said. , who expects a "difficult night".
Not completely reassured, Matsuyama again conceded a bogey on this N.16, counting again only two lengths on Zalatoris, this time, who had just finished.
On the last two holes, the Japanese had to take no chances to avoid making other mistakes.
His heart beating very hard under the polo shirt, he made another bogey at N.18, but without damage to his fate of winner.
"Nervousness didn't really win me over on the + back nine +. Today it was in me from start to very last putt," Matsuyama said afterwards.
A final liberating putt, therefore, which occurred, through the jet lag, when the "land of the rising sun" woke up, inevitably in ecstasy.
"You make Japan proud, Hideki. Congratulations on this enormous accomplishment for you and your country. This historic Masters victory will have an impact on the world of golf as a whole", congratulated the great absentee of this event. edition, Tiger Woods.
Convalescent after his serious car accident which broke his right leg, "the tiger" was him, 24 years earlier, the first half-breed, Black by his father, Asian by his mother, to be sacred to Augusta.
© 2021 AFP