Hideki Matsuyama won’t have Caddie and Coach at FedEx
Hideki Matsuyama will be without his regular caddie and swing coach at this week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship due to an unfortunate incident in London. The Japanese golfer and his team were robbed during a layover on their way to Memphis, Tennessee, the location of this week’s PGA Tour event, which marks the first round…
Hideki Matsuyama will be without his regular caddie and swing coach at this week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship due to an unfortunate incident in London. The Japanese golfer and his team were robbed during a layover on their way to Memphis, Tennessee, the location of this week’s PGA Tour event, which marks the first round of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
After securing a bronze medal in the men’s golf competition at the Paris Olympics, Matsuyama made a stop in London before heading to the U.S. During the stopover, Matsuyama’s wallet was stolen, though his passport and newly won Olympic medal remained safe. Unfortunately, his caddie, Shota Hayato, and coach, Mikihito Kuromiya, had their passports and visas stolen in the incident.
As a result, Hayato and Kuromiya had to return to Japan to request expedited documents in hopes of rejoining Matsuyama in the U.S.
The top 50 finishers in the FedEx St. Jude Championship will qualify for next week’s BMW Championship in Castle Rock, Colorado. From there, the top 30 will advance to the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, taking place from August 29 to September 1.
Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, currently ranks eighth in FedEx Cup points this season. He expressed uncertainty about whether his caddie and coach will make it to Colorado, stating, “There’s a chance they’ll make it, but we have to go into it thinking it’s close to zero,” in an interview with Golf Digest Japan.
In the meantime, Taiga Tabuchi, who caddies for fellow Japanese golfer Ryo Hisatsune, will step in to assist Matsuyama at TPC Southwind this week, as indicated by the caddie list released by the PGA Tour on Wednesday.
“I’m glad he accepted,” Matsuyama commented. “He’s worked with Hisatsune this year, so I think he knows the ropes, and he can speak English, so I can rely on him.”