How many points has Matsuyama and what's his position on the PGA Ranking?
Japan sucked in its breath as Hideki Matsuyama almost blew his chance to win the Masters but the golfer's one-shot victory at Augusta National sparked a joyous reaction back home.
Japan sucked in its breath as Hideki Matsuyama almost blew his chance to win the Masters but the golfer's one-shot victory at Augusta National sparked a joyous reaction back home as the country celebrated another sporting triumph in testing times.
Matsuyama, 29, became the first man from Japan to win one of golf's major titles, a feat that drew praise from government and Olympics officials with the Tokyo Games just three months away.
Katsunobu Kato, Japan's top government spokesman, expressed "congratulations and respect from the heart" for Matsuyama's "historic" win, which came as another ray of hope during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It is another bright piece of news of a Japanese athlete's outstanding performance on the global stage under tough circumstances like training," Kato told a regular news conference.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called Matsuyama's win "wonderful" and a source of pride and courage for the Japanese people during the difficulties posed by the pandemic.
Matsuyama has started Sunday's final round with a four-shot lead and looking a strong bet to join Hinako Shibuno and Chako Higuchi as Japanese major champions. Shibuno won the Women's British Open in 2019 and Higuchi won the Women's PGA Championship, formerly known as the LPGA Championship, in 1977.
PGA Rankings
Matsuyama has 3,505 points on the current PGA Ranking and currently lies in 25th place with Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas and Spain's Jon Rahm currently topping the podium on 11,067, 9,310 and 8,528 points respectively.