The 2021 Masters champion, Hideki Matsuyama put on a show over the past weekend. Closing with a 1-over 73 and a one-shot victory, Matsuyama displayed a degree of mastery that little knew he had in him. Despite some dramatic closing moments with Xander Schauffele’s late-surge, Matsuyama was never truly threatened throughout the entire event. He had even built a six shot lead at one point. It was a fantastic performance that took hold of the sports world for those four days at Augusta.

The victory even came with a streak of history, as Matsuyama became the first ever Japanese golfer to wear the green jacket. It was a life-changing moment, mostly due to the message it sends to his home country. With very few competitive Japanese golfers, the Masters champ wants his victory to inspire change. He said, “Hopefully, I’ll be a pioneer and many other Japanese will follow.” 

Surprisingly, Matsuyama’s resume is quite thin compared to most former Augusta champions. With only two world golf championships and three other PGA tour wins, the up-and-comer had proven very little heading into the weekend. His most impressive showing was finishing fifth in the 2014 Masters Tournament. It should be known, however, that Matsuyama has only been golfing professionally since 2013. This is a very short amount of time for a player to propel themselves from a nothing to a world champion.

Another high finisher was the 24-year old, Will Zalatoris. With an impressive 18-foot par putt on his last hole, the rookie finished as the runner-up, showing off some massive potential going forward in his career. Another impressive U.S. performance was put on display by the renowned Jordan Spieth, who tied for third place with Xander Schauffele. Spieth had a phenomenal final hole, bogeying for a 70. If it wasn’t for a disappointing start to the tournament, and a few mediocre holes late, there was a chance that the golfer could have caught up to Matsuyama at one point.

At the end of the day, it was Hideki Matsuyama’s brilliant outing that captivated the weekend. It was not only awe-inspiring, but also uplifting, making his country proud. It’s the exact kind of magic that can only be captured at Augusta. After a dire year in 2020, the Masters were a blast this time around. With the green bermudagrass shining brighter than ever and a limited capacity of locals, the tournament lived up to its annual hype.