Height: 5 ft 11 in

Born: February 25, 1992

Birthplace: Japan

College: Tohoku Fukushi University

Turned Pro: 2012

Sponsors: IMG, Lexus

Born and schooled in Japan, Hideki Matsuyama has risen steadily through the ranks of amateur and professional golf.

Matsuyama’s breakout win in the 2010 Asian Amateur Championship qualified him for the 2011 Masters Tournament. Matsuyama made the cut that year, the only amateur to do so, and won the Silver Cup awarded each year at Augusta to the low amateur.

Matsuyama became a professional in 2012 and won his first tournament as a professional (his first Japanese Tour win came as an amateur) in 2013 at the Tsuruya Open. He won three more times in Japan in 2013 and became the first rookie ever to lead the Japanese Tour money list.

Matsuyama qualified for the 2013 U.S. Open where he finished tied for 10th. He also played in the Open Championship that year where he finished in a tie for 6th place. He also played in the year’s last Major, the PGA, where he finished tied for 19th.

Matsuyama qualified for the 2014 PGA Tour based on his non-member earnings at PGA Tour-sanctioned events. His six top 25 finishes paved the way for full-time PGA credentials.

With his sights set in the United States, Matsuyama won his first PGA event at the prestigious Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. He defeated Kevin Na in a playoff and moved up to 13th place in the Official World Golf Rankings.

In 2015, Matsuyama recorded his highest career finish in a Major with a 5th place finish at the Masters.