AUGUSTA, Ga. – Hideki Matsuyama smiles when asked about his yearlong reign as the Master champion, specifying that his favorite moments occurred on the first tee at tournaments when he was introduced as the Masters champion.
“Then last week in Texas it was a little sad because I knew that was going to be the last time that I was going to be announced as the defending Masters champion,” Matsuyama said through his interpreter Tuesday at Augusta National Golf Club. “So it kind of made me feel, hey, I need to go out and win it again so I can continue that highlight.”
But he does have one regret about his reign.
“I just spent a year looking at it,” Matsuyama said about the green jacket. “I haven’t really worn it that much, but I look at it a lot.
“And now I wish I would have worn it more.”
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Despite the lack of wear and tear, he thought about getting it dry cleaned.
“But I just was so worried that something might happen to it,” he said with a smile. “So I didn’t want to let it out of my sight.”
Matsuyama, ranked No. 12 in the Official World Golf Ranking, is dealing with a neck injury that has forced him to withdraw from The Players Championship, skip the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, and withdraw from last week’s Valero Texas Open.
“Last couple of weeks, though, have been a struggle,” said Matsuyama, who won the Zozo Championship and the Sony Open in Hawaii since his victory at Augusta National. “Hopefully I can find my game and be a worthy defending champion. I had a lot of treatment last week, though, at Valero Texas Open. Monday and Tuesday, I was pain free, feeling really good. Then woke up Wednesday morning, and the neck was stiff again.
“But I’ve had, again, a lot of treatment the last couple of days. I just came from the practice range and really felt good. It’s probably the best I felt in a long time. So I’m looking forward to Thursday, and hopefully I’ll be 100 percent by then.”