PGA Tour star robbed after winning Paris Olympics medal and faces caddie chaos

**Title:** Hideki Matsuyama and Team Targeted by Theft in London Following Olympic Triumph

**PGA Tour star Hideki Matsuyama has revealed a shocking turn of events during his recent trip to London. After securing a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, Matsuyama, along with his caddie Shota Hayafuji and golf coach Mikihito Kuromiya, became the unfortunate victims of theft while staying in the UK.**

The 32-year-old Matsuyama, who had just celebrated his third-place finish at Le Golf National, found his moment of triumph marred by the incident. Thieves managed to steal valuable items from the golfer and his team while they were in the British capital, recovering from their stint in France.

According to a report by Golf Digest Japan, Matsuyama and his entourage had traveled to the UK to rest before heading to Memphis, Tennessee, for the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind. However, their plans took an unexpected turn when the robbery occurred. Among the stolen items were the passports of both Hayafuji and Kuromiya, as well as Matsuyama’s wallet. Thankfully, Matsuyama’s cherished Olympic bronze medal was not among the items taken.

In the aftermath of the robbery, Hayafuji and Kuromiya were forced to return to Japan urgently to obtain new travel documents and visas. The incident has left Matsuyama facing the challenging prospect of competing in the FedEx Cup Playoffs without his trusted team by his side.

Matsuyama acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding his caddie and coach’s ability to rejoin him in time for the tournament, stating, “There’s a chance they’ll make it, but we have to go into it thinking it’s close to zero.”

In light of these unexpected circumstances, Matsuyama has had to make alternative arrangements for his time at TPC Southwind. He has enlisted Taiga Tabuchi as a temporary replacement for Hayafuji. Speaking about the situation, Matsuyama said, “I’m glad he accepted. He’s worked with Hisatsugu [Ryo] this year, so I think he knows the ropes, and he can speak English, so I can rely on him.”

Despite the setbacks, Matsuyama remains determined to perform at his best. He expressed a renewed sense of responsibility, saying, “I’m going to play golf as if I went back to the way I was before I had a coach. I feel like all the responsibility is on me. I’m looking forward to that for the first time in a while. I want to pass on to him [Tabuchi] what I’ve cultivated with Shota on the course.”

As Matsuyama prepares to take on the challenges at TPC Southwind, he does so with a positive outlook, ready to adapt and overcome the obstacles that have come his way.