Behind every great golfer is a trusted ally on the grees! For Hideki Matsuyama, that partnership was put to the test when he and his team, including his caddie, Shota Hayafuji, fell victim to a shocking robbery in London. He then arrived in Memphis for the St. Jude Championship and had to find a replacement caddie. 

Everyone thought that his game would be affected without his trusted partner by his side. But he got blessed by the goddess of victory, as his emergency caddie, Taiga Tabuchi, led him to win $3.6 million at the TPC Southwind. This turned out to be a perfect example of a blessing in disguise. Now that the BMW Championship, the second stop of the FedEx playoff, is set to kick off, who’s carrying Matsuyama’s bags? Will Hayafuji return in time?

Hideki Matsuyama puts faith in the winning formula

For now, Hideki Matsuyama sticks with his temporary caddie, Taiga Tabuchi. Both will feature in the BMW Championship, starting August 22–25 at Castle Pines Golf Club. After winning the St. Jude Championship by two strokes over Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland, Matsuyama had nothing but praise for his temporary looper. 

Matsuyama’s praise for Tabuchi was heartfelt; citing their quickly developed chemistry, he said, “First time I’ve worked with him. In fact, I hadn’t really spoken to him very much prior to this week. I knew he was caddying for Ryo on the TOUR earlier in the year, so we did play some practice rounds together. (But) on the course, you have a routine. But with the new caddie, that routine changes. So, we were working through that all week. But he was a great help to me. Helped me read a lot of putts. There were a lot of good lines that he gave me.”

Consequently, Tabuchi was also thrilled to be working with Matsuyama. He felt grateful to be by his side and walking alongside the most famous and best Japanese golf player. Moreover, he humbly credited Matsuyama for doing all the work.

Now, as things stand, Matsuyama has a caddie behind his back for the BMW Championship. But what about the next pit stop? The TOUR of Champions? Will his trusted caddie, Shota Hayafuji, finally rejoin him once the passport issues are sorted out?

Mixed news for Matsuyama’s team ahead of TOUR of Champions

After his win, Matsuyama was quizzed about his trusted caddie’s chances of making it to Denver for the TOUR Championship in his post-tournament press conference. A smile spread across his face as he revealed, “Yes. He just arrived in Denver. In fact, he called, and he made it.” 

But before the first playoff event, he admitted, “There is a chance that (the two) will make it in time, but we have to go into the tournament thinking that the chances are close to zero.” However, after an impressive first round, with 5 under 65, he expressed that “Shota will make it, I think, but my coach probably won’t.”

The news marked a welcome turnaround from the lingering uncertainties. With Shota Hayafujiby on his side, Hideki Matsuyama’s prospects for the Tour of Champions looked brighter than ever. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.