MONTREAL — Shigeki Maruyama was all smiles, identical to all the time, watching from in entrance of the twelfth inexperienced as Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im delivered a record-tying rout over America’s greatest foursomes duo Friday on the Presidents Cup.
Maruyama was often known as the “Smiling Murderer” throughout his profession. His worth as an assistant captain for the Worldwide workforce is that Matsuyama is now smiling, too.
It’s been like that every one summer season. That smile is infectious.
“Hideki’s rhythm is admittedly essential to him, the best way he goes about his every day routine,” Maruyama stated by way of his son, Sean, who performed faculty golf at UCLA. “When he feels he wants a phrase to cheer him up, I step in and discuss to him and it will get him to loosen up.”
Maruyama has been the Japan nationwide coach on the Olympics since golf returned in 2016. Matsuyama had his greatest Olympic second in Paris, profitable a bronze medal. Two weeks later, he gained the primary PGA Tour playoff occasion on the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Images from Paris of Matsuyama trying free and pleased caught the eye of Worldwide captain Mike Weir. He had one additional assistant to nominate, and the selection was apparent.
“You noticed him on the Olympics. They had been each smiling. He makes Hideki really feel snug,” Weir stated after watching Matsuyama and Im win, 7 and 6, handing Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele their first foursomes loss within the Presidents Cup.
“That’s how I received the thought, the Olympics,” Weir stated. “I had the choice for a fifth assistant and I assumed, ‘That’s the man.’ Hideki has all the time been on his personal.”
Matsuyama has been the lone Japanese participant on the Presidents Cup since 2013. Earlier than that, Ryo Ishikawa was the one Japanese participant on the Worldwide workforce in 2011 and 2009. For 3 editions, there was none.
The one time the Worldwide workforce had two Japanese gamers was in 1998 with Maruyama and Joe Ozaki.
“It’s been very useful,” Matsuyama stated by way of an interpreter. “The final time he got here was 2013. He’s serving to so much, quite a lot of good recommendation. I’m actually pleased that he’s on our workforce.”
Maruyama, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour who gained 10 occasions on the Japan Golf Tour, has been a mentor to the previous Masters champion for greater than a decade. They first linked when Matsuyama was taking part in in Japan and sought him out for recommendation on the brief recreation.
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They’ve stayed linked ever since, smiling and laughing, with a number of motivational messages sprinkled in there.
One such second got here on the Sony Open in 2022 , the place Matsuyama hit 3-wood to three ft in a playoff to win in Hawaii for his eighth profession PGA Tour title.
The winner’s lei nonetheless draped round his neck, Matsuyama’s telephone began buzzing. It was a textual content from Maruyama telling him he had another to go. They all the time talked about Matsuyama having extra PGA Tour wins than another Asian-born participant.
Okay.J. Choi of South Korea was at eight.
Matsuyama took care of that by profitable at Riviera — the place Maruyama was as soon as a member — after which added to the overall later within the 12 months. That is his sixth time taking part in within the Presidents Cup. Solely Adam Scott, making his eleventh look, has performed extra.
Neither is aware of what it’s prefer to win one.
There’s nonetheless three extra periods, and the Worldwide shutout on Friday introduced the rating again to 5-all.
Weir had a hunch his fifth assistant would pay dividends. Weir stated he even confirmed movies to the younger gamers on the workforce of Maruyama taking part in the Presidents Cup in Australia, the place he teamed with Craig Parry to beat Tiger Woods and Fred {Couples}, and teamed with Ozaki to take down David Duval and Phil Mickelson.
“He’s only a nice character. I believe it places a smile on Hideki’s face,” Weir stated. “He’s been incredible within the workforce room. They known as him the ‘Smiling Murderer’ again then. He’s a lighthearted man and enjoyable to be round.”
