Not One for Wilting

Justin Rose etched his name alongside the greats with his two-stroke triumph at last month’s US Open at storied Merion Golf Club in Philadelphia. This is a victory that has been building for years on the foundation of a steely, inner resolve forged by the trials and tribulations that life in the spotlight can serve up

Hideki Matsuyama’s final round 67 matched the low round of the tournament

Matsuyama Earns His stripes at Merion

Young Japanese tyro Hideki Matsuyama continued his meteoric rise in the world of golf with a remarkable top-10 finish in his first US Open outing. Adding the icing to the cake, Matsuyama’s final round 67 matched the low round of the tournament and tied the low round of the day with Jason Dufner.

"It was great to play here. It was a great experience for me to be able to play a course that was so difficult ... and the setting was very difficult too," Matsuyama said after the round. "To play well the final day has given me a lot of confidence and I'm looking forward to more experiences like this."

Matsuyama earned his first US Open start after earning medallist honours at the championship qualifier in Japan and headed to Merion after a fantastic four-tournament stretch on the Japan Golf Tour; starting with victory in the Tsuruya Open in April, the 21-year-old recorded runner-up finishes at The Crowns and PGA Championship Nissin Cupnoodles Cup before his second win of the year arrived at the Diamond Cup Golf tournament in late May.

Matsuyama has also qualified for his first Open Championship start at Muirfield after getting through the International Qualifier in Bangkok back in March.

Readers may remember Matsuyama qualifying for his first Masters Tournament in 2010 as an 18-year old on the back of winning the 2010 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, the same path to Augusta followed by 14 year-old Guan Tianlang this year. Matsuyama made the cut and earned low amateur honours that time, returning again in 2011 (after winning his second successive Asia-Pacific Amateur title) to finish in a tie for 54th.

We’re sure to be seeing a lot more of the young Japanese star in the upcoming months. His outstanding US Open performance has catapulted him into the top-50 in the Official World Golf Rankings and he has boosted his chances of making Nick Price’s International Team for October’s Presidents Cup. He currently lies in seventh spot in the qualifying standings with the top 10 players automatically earning their berths at Muirfield Village.

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Written by Paul Prendergast

Photography by AFP

Click here to see the published article.

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