Who is the second Matsuyama present in Hawaii?

At 16, Mao Matsuyama (left in the photo) has already made Japanese golf history by becoming, at 15, the youngest player to win the Japan Amateur. A success which earned him an invitation from the sponsor to participate this week in Hawaii at the Sony Open.

This is his first tournament outside of Japan and he won’t soon forget his debut on the PGA Tour. Mao Matsuyama had the chance to play a practice game with his idol Hideki Matsuyama. The winner of the Sentry who could be mistaken for his big brother.

“I am often asked if we are brothers or related, he explains. Because of my last name, I get more attention from everyone, and I sometimes think that maybe that’s a good thing. »

The Sony Open is a meeting where the Japanese are always popular with the public. No doubt because many remember the eagle on the 72nd hole ofIsao Aoki in 1983. A memory revived three years ago by Hideki Matsuyama’s magical 3 woodcut in the play-off against Russell Henley.

In this last round, the winner of the Masters a few months earlier had overcome a five-shot deficit on the last nine holes to win on the first play-off hole after this masterful shot.

Childhood dream

195th player in the world amateur ranking, Mao Matsuyama is one of the rare players who was unable to finish the first round of this 2025 edition due to darkness. A+7 after 17 holes, he was among the last in the rankings Thursday evening in Hawaii. But the main thing is elsewhere for this young player, barely 16 years old, who has dreamed of becoming a professional since he was 8 years old!

« When I started playing every day I felt the pleasure and joy of playing, recalls Matsuyama on the PGA Tour website. That’s when I realized I wanted to play this game for a very long time. »

Photo © Maddie Meyer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP