AUGUSTA, Georgia (April 10, 2011) -- Hideki
Matsuyama lived out a dream of all amateur
golfers: walking up the 18th hole with a birdie
putt and the crowd cheering for you. A few
moments later he would hole that putt and
prepare himself for the Butler Cabin ceremony
to be crowned the low amateur at the 2011
Masters.
Matsuyama's 72-73-68-74 bested a record-
setting field of six amateurs that included the
Golfweek/amateurgolf.com top-ranked player in
the world, Peter Uihlein. He also tied defending
champion Phil Mickelson and scored lower than
several top-ten world ranked professionals.
Although Matsuyama missed the coveted 16th
spot and ties for an automatic return ticket to
Augusta next year, he validated the newly
created exemption for the Asian Amateur
champion with his exceptional play.
Matsuyama plans to return to Sendai, Japan
and commence volunteer work with his
teammates at Tohoku Fukushi University.
About all the Amateur Participants:
Hideki Matsuyama (
72-73-68-74--287) Matsuyama qualifed as the
2010 Asian Amateur Champion where he
posted a final-round 67. He is the first
Japanese Amateur to play in the Masters.
Attends Tohoku Fukushi University and
resides in Ehime, Japan.
amateurgolf.com/Golfweek player
rankings: 48 David Chung (72-76--148).
Chung qualified as the runner up at the 2010
US Amateur at Chambers Bay. Chung won the
2010 Western Amateur and the 2010 Porter
Cup. He is Junior at Stanford University,
majoring in communications.
amateurgolf.com/Golfweek player
rankings: 2 Lion Kim (76-72--
148). Kim qualified as the 2010 US Amateur
Public Links Champion. Kim is a senior at the
University of Michigan and although he was
born in South Korea he lists his hometown as
Lake Mary, Fla.
amateurgolf.com/Golfweek
player rankings: 37
Peter Uihlein (72-77--149).
Uihlein qualified as the 2010 US Amateur
champion defeating David Chung at Chambers
Bay 4 and 2 in the 36-hole final. Uihlein won
the 2010 Sahalee Players Championship and
also went 4-0 in the 2009 Walker Cup. Uihlein
is a Junior at the number one ranked Oklahoma
State University.
amateurgolf.com/Golfweek
player rankings: 1
Jin Jeong (73-77--
150) Jeong qualified as the 2010 British
Amateur Champion. He won the Silver Medal at
the 2010 British Open for low amateur. Jeong
was born in South Korea but he resides in
Australia. amateurgolf.com/Golfweek player
rankings: 6 Nathan Smith (75-77--152) --
Smith qualified as the 2010 Mid-Amateur
champion, which he won for a third time. He
has won the Western Pennsylvania Amateur for
the last four years and he was runner-up at
the prestigous Sunehanna Amateur.
amateurgolf.com/Golfweek
player rankings: 23
***Previous Coverage***
AUGUSTA, Georgia (April 9, 2011) -- Hideki
Matsuyama is not done at the 2011 Masters.
An impressive 4-under-par 68 has him tied for
18th place at 3-under par. A solid start with
clean card of 2-under 34 going out with no
bogeys was followed by another 2-under 34
coming in with three birdies and just one bogey
(No. 14) on the day.
Matsuyama is currently ranked 145 in the
amateurgolf.com/Golfweek rankings, having
played in just two recent points events prior to
the Masters.
*** Previous Coverage ***
AUGUSTA, Georgia (April 8, 2011) -- In a year
were six amateurs were entered in the Masters
-- more than any other since 1957 -- reigning
Asian amateur champion Hideki Matsuyama is
the sole non-professional to make the cut at
+1 for the event. The US Amateur champion
and the world number one ranked
amateur Peter Uihlein carded a 72-77--149
along with the Publinks champion Lion Kim (76-
72--149)
Jin Jeong, the British Amateur champ, shot 73-
77--150 and the three time Mid-Am
champ Nathan Smith shot 75-77--152.
The US Amateur runner-up David Chung (72-
76--148) finished at +4, missing the two-day
cut by just three shots
Matsuyama earned his spot into the
tournament via the newly created exemption
for the winner of the Asian Amateur. Any time
an amateur makes the cut it is special, but this
year there is more to the story. Matsuyama
goes to college in Sendai, the area pummeled
by the massive earthquake and tsunami just a
month ago. Ryo Ishikawa, the young phenom
and media darling is giving away all his earnings
to help the people of Japan. Matsuyama will
earn no money this week but he can give the
people so much more. Yes, he is playing with a
heavy heart but he is also playing out the
dream of every Japanese player to ever put a
peg in the ground at Augusta National.
"I'm not sure I should play at the Masters,
even at this very moment," said Matusyama.
"Still, I've decided to play. So many people
have pushed me. My teammates, my parents.
I'm here for the people who made me who I
am."
The Masters is revered around the world as
the pinnacle of golf, but to the people of Japan
it is something more, something almost beyond
the game itself. They even know the words to
the Masters theme song!
For Japanese players to tee it up at Augusta is
special. For them to make the cut it is even
more so. For an amateur to make the cut …
well ganbate Hideki, ganbate.
Ganbate: Japanese for good luck, do your
best, we are behind you all the way.
ABOUT THE
The Masters
One of Golf's four professional majors
traditionally invites amateurs who have reached
the
finals of the US Amateur, or won the British
Amateur
or
the US Mid Amateur. Also included are
the winners of the relatively new Asia Pacific
Amateur
and Latin American Amateur.
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