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Hideki Matsuyama hadn’t been in contention at a major championship for a quite some time heading into the final round of the Masters but the 29 year old never look rattled on Sunday as he made history with a one-stroke win at Augusta National.
Afterward, he and his caddie found some pretty awesome ways to celebrate.
First his caddie, Shota Hayafuji, bowed toward the course after putting the flag back in the hole following the winning putt. It was such an awesome and impactful moment that will never be forgotten.
Moments after that happened, Matsuyama teared up while walking through fans to get to the scoring tent to make things official. You could see in his watery eyes that what he just did – becoming the first man for Japan to win a major championship – was a truly special and life-changing moment. It’s a win that will turn him into a hero in his home country, and rightly so.
Later Sunday night Tiger Woods tweeted his congratulations to Matsuyama on his tremendous performance over the weekend that ended up with him putting a green jacket.
Matsuyama was so good on Sunday. Even though he only beat Will Zalatoris by a stroke, his lead was never really in jeopardy. He did give the Tokyo TV broadcast a scary moment with a bad shot on 15, but Matsuyama was able to do enough over the final three holes to pick up the historic win.
He and his caddie carried the weight of a nation on their shoulders throughout the final round. And when it was all over they let those emotions out and showed their respect and love for a game and a venue that had everyone feeling so happy for two guys who picked up a win for the ages.
It wasn’t the most intense Sunday at Augusta, but those finishing touches made it a day that we’ll always remember.
Quick hits: Acuna’s cheat-code speed… The NHL should be ashamed… Check out our true-crime podcast ‘The Sneak’…
– Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. had everyone in awe of his speed after he somehow beat out a routine grounder Sunday night against the Phillies.
– Chris Korman correctly writes that the NHL should be ashamed for making the Oilers play after teammate’s memorial service.
– Season 3 of The Sneak, a true crime podcast with a sports twist from USA TODAY and For The Win, premiered last week. In the new season, we investigate the mysterious disappearance of Mario Rossi — a brilliant NASCAR crew chief and engineer who vanished in 1983 — and how it may be connected to a $300 million drug-smuggling ring that infiltrated motor sports. You can listen to The Sneak on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you get your podcasts. The first two episodes debuted together, and one episode will be released each week for the next six weeks. If you can’t wait, you can also binge the entire third season, ad free, now on the Wondery Plus app. Click here to learn more about Season 3 of The Sneak.