Hideki Matsuyama Wins 2021 Masters Tournament
Hideki Matsuyama made history, becoming the first Japanese man to win a major championship when he won the 2021 Masters Tournament on Sunday afternoon.
Matsuyama entered the final day of competition with a four-stroke lead at -11 overall. In each of the first three rounds, he recorded an eagle, but Matsuyama's round three performance stood out as excellent. He did not have a bogey in the 18 holes, and he finished by shooting a 65 on a par 72.
In the first nine holes of round four, he recorded three birdies and one bogey to get to -13, but he had struggles over the final nine holes. Matsuyama recorded four bogeys, including three over the final four holes, but he ultimately held on to win at -10 even though he shot one over par on Sunday. The 73 was the highest number that he shot in a round in this year's tournament, but in some of the late holes, he took safe bogeys, knowing that he had a solid lead.
Will Zalatoris, in his first ever competitive start at Augusta National, finished second overall at -9. The 24-year-old shot a 70 on Sunday with a strong finish, but fell one stroke short of Matsuyama for the green jacket.
Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele each tied at -7 to finish third overall. Schauffele was down to -10 in the fourth round behind four consecutive birdies from holes 12-15, but a triple-bogey on hole 16 ruined his chances at catching Matsuyama.
Matsuyama's win is a big deal for the growth of golf on the international scene. The 29-year-old finally broke through in his 10th Masters Tournament with his historic first green jacket.