KAWAGOE, Japan – For a player who famously guards his privacy, the Olympics were always going to be a unique challenge for Hideki Matsuyama, who has endured the weight of a golf-crazed nation this week.
A first-round 69 did nothing to change his attitude or his expectations. Even after an eventful round at Kasumigaseki Country Club, he seemed to be at ease with his plight as a national icon.
“If I say there's no pressure I'll be lying, so hopefully I'll be able to embrace the pressure and that's upon me and just try to put together a nice tournament here,” he said.