Matsuyama hoping no caddie no problem after robbery

Ronan MacNamara

15th August 2024

Paris Olympics bronze medallist Hideki Matsuyama will be without his caddie Shota Hayafuji for this week’s FedEx St Jude Championship after his passport was stolen in a robbery during a stopover in London last week.

Matsuyama had his wallet stolen while his coach Mikihito Kuromiya also had his passport stolen during a brief stopover in London en route to America after the Paris Olympic Games.

The Japanese golfer who is also a former Masters champion did not have his bronze medal stolen but as a result of the theft his caddie and coach were forced to return to Japan in order to have their passports and visas reissued.

Should they be granted the relevant documentation the earliest they are likely to be Stateside again is just before the season ending Tour Championship in two weeks which Matsuyama looks on course to qualify for.

“There’s a chance they’ll make it, but we have to go into it thinking it’s close to zero,” Matsuyama told Golf Digest Japan.

“I’m going to play golf as if I went back to the way I was before I had a coach. I feel like all the responsibility is on me.”

In the meantime, Taiga Tabuchi, who caddies for fellow Japanese tour pro Ryo Hisatsune, will be on the bag for Matsuyama this week.