Tokyo (AFP)

What if 2021 was the year of Japanese golf?

In a country already keen on the little white ball, Japanese golf authorities want to take advantage of the Olympic Games and the historic victory of Hideki Matsuyama at the Masters to attract new audiences to the greens.

Golf "is something that seems distant for the youngest," admits the boss of the Japanese Federation (JGA) Hiroshi Yamanaka.

But the Augusta Masters "is a tournament that everyone has heard about, whether we play golf or not," he continues.

The success of Hideki Matsuyama, the first Japanese to win a Grand Slam tournament, "shines the spotlight" on his sport, "and maybe that will inspire people, pushing them to try their hand" at golf, Hiroshi hopes Yamanaka.

About three months before the opening of the Olympic Games (July 23-August 8), conveniently organized by Japan, Matsuyama's victory could not have come at a better time.

Absent from the Olympic program for 112 years, golf made a comeback in Rio in 2016 and a tournament is also planned in Tokyo.

- Tears -

In addition to this favorable calendar, golf is already enjoying real popularity in the archipelago, notably thanks to the performances of Tsuneyuki Nakajima in the 1980s or those of Masashi Ozaki during the following decade.

But the best ambassadors of the discipline in the land of the rising sun are the first two winners of Grand Slam tournaments on the women's circuit, Hisako Higuchi (LPGA Championship 1977) and Hinako Shibuno (British Open 2019).

In 2019, the Zozo Championship also became the first event of the prestigious PGA Tour to be organized in the archipelago.

This explains the emotion of the TV presenters, who were struggling to hold back their tears in full live when Matsuyama won the prestigious Augusta Masters.

"When I saw that Matsuyama, usually stoic, had wet eyes, and when I heard the emotion in the commentator's voice, I couldn't help but cry," Teruyuki Onogi said Monday. , owner of a restaurant interviewed on a Tokyo journey.

He was certainly not the only one, in a country of seven million golfers, out of a population of some 126 million.

In stations, some businessmen are even ready to give up their files for a few moments to perfect their swing, with the help of imaginary clubs!

- "More inclusive environment" -

Proof of the importance of his triumph, Matsuyama, 29, could be in charge of lighting the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Olympics, during which he will aim for nothing less than "the gold medal ".

"I want to continue to focus fully on golf, as I always have, but I think I will receive a lot more attention," he anticipated on his return to Japan.

The image of sport in the country, however, can still be improved.

The number of players has declined since the peak of the late 1980s, when golf was an "important tool" in the corporate world.

"If we can create a more inclusive environment, which makes it easier to take up golf, I think the Japanese will improve," said Teruyuki Onogi, for whom the discipline is still seen as "a sport for older men" .

"Many parents now want their daughters to become professional golfers," retorts Hiroshi Yamanaka.

According to the president of the Japanese Golf Federation, the Covid-19 pandemic has boosted the practice, golf being perceived as a less risky way to maintain one's shape, compared to gyms and sports practiced indoors.

"It's not just about Matsuyama, we have a host of talented young golfers, especially the ladies," said the JGA boss.

© 2021 AFP