Every tour pro has a routine, a waggle, a breathing technique, or a specific number of practice strokes before committing. For Ryo Hisatsune, it is a water bottle, handed to him by his caddie before every putt. While many have been amused by the Japanese pro’s precise process, many have also wondered what makes it so special.

“I had to take some of the sake bomb. I need to start getting more drunk,” he answered the reporters with a wide grin across his face before pausing, reading the room, and adding, “Just kidding. It’s just water.”

On February 12, 2026, at Pebble Beach, Hisatsune delivered a bogey-free 62, the best round of his PGA Tour career. He made ten birdies and holed 158 feet of putts, leading the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after the first round. He entered the $20 million event through the Aon Swing 5 and finished the day ahead of Sam Burns and Keegan Bradley by one shot.

The PGA Tour, impressed by the 23-year-old’s humorous approach, posted the clip on their various social media platforms with the caption: “There’s a method to his madness 😈.” Take a look:

Hisatsune started this habit early in his professional career, after turning pro in December 2020. He found that drinking water before putts helped him manage nerves and focus under pressure. It became a routine that allowed him to stay calm and consistent.

The sequence is precise.

Hisatsune gets behind the ball to read the line — that’s Spencer’s cue. The light blue or midnight green bottle comes forward, straw out, no words exchanged. Hisatsune sips, returns it, steps in, and putts. Miss the putt?

Spencer is already bringing the bottle back. It also covers short-game shots up to 70 yards. The bottle runs on water and Gatorade electrolyte packets, and is refilled somewhere between four and five times per round.

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The caddies need to get the timing correct. Getting there has taken some caddies longer than others. Hisatsune told a publication covering his caddie partnership: “He has good timing. Some caddies have not; some have forgotten. But he’s doing very well.”

At Pebble Beach on Thursday, the routine produced a Strokes Gained: Putting of 5.132 seconds in the entire field. No wonder many are curious about the whole process.

Ryo Hisatsune’s sipping moment triggers fan frenzy on social media

The sake bomb joke did something a birdie reel alone rarely does: it gave strangers a personality to attach to the scorecard. “Birdie Juice!” One commenter immediately gave the bottle its new name.

There was no need for a campaign or hashtags. Hisatsune had already earned it: 158 feet of putts made, a bogey-free 62, and a straight-faced joke that turned the water bottle into the supposed reason for his performance. However, it won’t be anything new either.

Golfers have to walk for long stretches, and right before putting, their nerves could get the better of them. Having some weight in your stomach can relieve that anxiety, even if for a short time. Moreover, electrolytes and hydration can never be the wrong way to go.

“Gonna try this one out. It probably won’t work,” came from someone who understood the gap between watching Hisatsune drain putts from everywhere at Pebble Beach and replicating the routine on a Saturday morning.

“We’d be boys,” summed up another in three words what others might have taken longer to say. “Japanese humour is literally the best” was a reaction to the sake bomb comment. Hisatsune made the remark, corrected himself, and kept the same expression he used on the course. The humor worked because he was not trying to get a reaction; he was just trying to get some laughs.

“And just like that, I’m now a fan 😂” showed how quickly Hisatsune won people over, even without a tournament win. He qualified for this Signature Event through the Aon Swing 5, not because of a big name or major victory. His personality made an impact that rankings could not. That’s, of course, usually one of the factors that can get you into big tournaments as long as you bring more eyes to the event.

“Joking but not joking 😉😂” closed the thread in six words that captured what the entire exchange was — a genuine window into how Hisatsune actually operates, wrapped in a joke that turned out not to be one.

Hisatsune heads into Round 2 at Spyglass Hill one shot clear. The water bottle travels with him.