Hideki Matsuyama, a prominent Japanese professional golfer, will embark on the lucrative postseason of the PGA Tour without his caddie and coach. The trio fell victim to a robbery during a layover in London from the Paris Olympics, as reported by Golf Digest Japan.
According to the magazine, Matsuyama had his wallet stolen but fortunately, his Olympic bronze medal and passport remained untouched.
However, his caddie, Shota Hayato, and coach, Mikihito Kuromiya, were not as lucky. Their passports and visas were stolen, forcing them to return to Japan. They are now striving to expedite the process of acquiring new documents to return to the United States.
Matsuyama, who achieved victory at Riviera in the Genesis Invitational earlier this year, currently holds the 8th position in the FedEx Cup standings. He is guaranteed to advance through two playoff events in order to qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.
The FedEx St. Jude Championship is set to commence on Thursday, serving as the first leg of the playoffs. This will be followed by the BMW Championship, which will take place near Denver, before culminating in the Tour Championship.
While Matsuyama expressed hope that Hayato and Kuromiya might join him in Atlanta, he acknowledged that the chances of it occurring were slim.
For this week’s tournament at TPC Southwind, Matsuyama will be supported by Taiga Tabuchi, who previously caddied for Ryo Hisatsune.
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