Hideki Matsuyama will be without his regular caddie and swing coach at this week's FedEx St. Jude Championship after the Japanese golfer and his team were robbed during a stopover in London.
After winning a bronze medal in the men's golf competition at the Paris Olympics, Matsuyama stopped in London before flying to Memphis, Tennessee, site of this week's PGA Tour event: the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Matsuyama told Golf Digest Japan that his wallet was stolen during the incident, but not his passport or his newly won Olympic medal. His caddie, Shota Hayato, and his coach, Mikihito Kuromiya, both had their passports and visas stolen.
Hayato and Kuromiya had to return to Japan, where they applied for expedited papers to return to the U.S.
The top 50 finishers from the FedEx St. Jude Championship will advance to next week's BMW Championship in Castle Rock, Colo. The top 30 finishers from there will play in the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta from Aug. 29-Sept. 1.
Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, is eighth in points this season.
“There is a chance that they will succeed. [to Colorado]”But we have to face it thinking that it's close to zero,” Matsuyama told Golf Digest Japan.
Taiga Tabuchi, who caddies for Japanese golfer Ryo Hisatsune, will be on Matsuyama's bag at TPC Southwind this week, according to the caddie list distributed by the PGA Tour on Wednesday.
“I'm glad he agreed,” Matsuyama said. “He's worked with Hisatsune this year, so I think he knows how things work and he speaks English, so I can trust him.”
