PGA Tour star robbed after winning Paris Olympics medal and faces caddie chaos
PGA Tour star Hideki Matsuyama has revealed a distressing turn of events following his bronze medal win at the Paris Olympics. While in London after his success at Le Golf National, Matsuyama, his caddie Shota Hayafuji, and his golf coach Mikihito Kuromiya were robbed. The theft occurred during their stay in the UK before they were scheduled to fly to Memphis, Tennessee.
The thieves stole passports belonging to Hayafuji and Kuromiya, as well as Matsuyama’s wallet. Fortunately, Matsuyama’s Olympic bronze medal was not among the stolen items.
In the aftermath, Hayafuji and Kuromiya had to return to Japan to obtain new travel documents and visas. Matsuyama admitted that their ability to join him for the FedEx St Jude Championship at TPC Southwind is uncertain, expressing that the likelihood is “close to zero.”
As a result, Matsuyama has enlisted Taiga Tabuchi as his temporary caddie for the upcoming event. Matsuyama expressed gratitude for Tabuchi’s support, noting his familiarity with the game and his English-speaking ability. He plans to approach the tournament with a renewed focus, drawing on his previous experiences before he had a coach.
Reflecting on his Olympic performance, Matsuyama shared mixed feelings. Although he was pleased with his bronze medal, he noted the presence of the gold medalist on the podium next to him. He also appreciated the opportunity to play in front of a lively crowd, contrasting the experience with the empty stands during the Tokyo Olympics due to the pandemic.
Matsuyama concluded by celebrating his achievement as a culmination of twelve years of effort and praised the growing recognition of golf as an Olympic sport.
