Hideki Matsuyama on London Robbery

Hideki Matsuyama and his team were robbed in London, losing passports and a wallet.

While stopping over in London between Paris and Memphis, Matsuyama’s caddie’s bag was stolen during dinner. This theft resulted in both his caddie Shota Hayafuji and coach Simone Vagnozzi having to return to Japan to get new passports.

Matsuyama shared that he only lost his wallet, but the bigger issue was getting visas sorted for Shota and Simone so they could rejoin him soon. The incident happened suddenly while they were enjoying a meal downtown . “We didn’t even know it happened,” Matsuyama said, explaining their surprise when Shota noticed his bag missing.

Adjusting with a New Caddie:

For the FedEx St Jude Championship, Ryo Hisatsune’s usual caddie, Taiga Tabuchi, stepped in to help Matsuyama. In their first round together, Matsuyama shot an impressive five-under-par 65. Fans might think it’s amazing how well they adapted so quickly.

Reflecting on this new partnership reminded Matsuyama of when Shota first started working with him. “It felt like starting fresh,” he noted. Despite the change, teamwork remained crucial for success on the course.

Matsuyama emphasized that his focus remains on playing golf while staying connected with his coach through nightly calls. He praised Taiga for doing a great job and expressed confidence about future rounds together.

Currently ranked 8th in the FedEx Cup standings, Matsuyama is assured of competing at East Lake for the Tour Championship finale where someone will win the $25m bonus.

What do you think about this unexpected turn of events?