AUGUSTA, Ga. – Hideki Matsuyama is the humblest of champions.
Whereas he’s moved over to the champions’ locker room on the second flooring of Augusta Nationwide’s clubhouse and into his shared house with Larry Mize, in the case of parking spots, Matsuyama is retaining his outdated one alongside all of the non-winners as to not draw extra consideration to himself.
However make no mistake, Matsuyama has loved being the defending Masters champion.
“I feel very proud and honored to be here,” Matsuyama mentioned throughout a sleepy Tuesday morning interview within the press heart. “It’s been a great year with wins at Zozo and Sony. Last couple of weeks, though, have been a struggle. Hopefully, I can find my game and be a worthy defending champion.”
Full-field tee times from the 86th Masters Tournament
At No. 12 within the Official World Golf Rating, Matsuyama needs to be on the brief listing of potential winners this week. However he enters his Masters title protection contemporary off two straight withdrawals and nursing a neck damage, which he suffered through the second spherical of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in early March.
The ailment knocked him out of the WGC-Dell Match Play two weeks in the past, after which final week he felt pain-free on Monday and Tuesday of the Valero Texas Open earlier than waking up Wednesday with extra stiffness in his neck.
“But I’ve had, again, a lot of treatment the last couple of days,” Matsuyama mentioned. “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% by then. … As far as golf, besides the injury, I haven’t really been able to hit a full shot, a 100% full shot in a long time, so that’s still a question. But I feel like the treatment I’ve been receiving is helping. I’m on the road to full recovery.”
Matsuyama mentioned Tuesday that he wished he had worn his inexperienced jacket extra earlier than he’s pressured to maintain it in his locker completely starting this week. He was so nervous about one thing taking place to his prized possession that he most popular to take a look at it greater than put on it and didn’t dry clear it as soon as regardless that it wanted it.
He did take pleasure in listening to himself introduced because the defending Masters champion on first tees this season, and earlier than pulling out of Valero, he admitted he was “a little sad” as a result of he would not be offered as such.
“It kind of made me feel,” Matsuyama mentioned, “Hey, I need to go out and win it again so I can continue that highlight.”
