Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama on brink of historic Masters victory

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama. Pic/AP, PTI

Hideki Matsuyama, trying to become the first Japanese man to win a major golf title, held a four-stroke lead as Sunday's dramatic final round of the 85th Masters began.

Matsuyama stood on 11-under 205 after 54 holes at Augusta National, seizing command with a Masters career-low seven-under par 65 on Saturday, the only bogey-free round of the event.

England's Justin Rose, Australian Marc Leishman and Americans Xander Schauffele and Will Zalatoris shared second on 209 with Canada's Corey Conners on 210 and Jordan Spieth seventh on 211.

Distant finish

Japan's Chako Higuchi won the 1977 LPGA Championship and Hinako Shibuno won the 2019 Women's British Open but the nearest Japanese men have come to a major win was Isao Aoki's runner-up effort at the 1980 US Open and Matsuyama's share of second at the 2017 US Open.

Best preparation

"All I can do is prepare well, try my best, and do the best that I can," Matsuyama said through a translator. The only Asian man to win a major title was South Korea's Yang Yong-eun at the 2009 PGA Championship. World No. 25 Matsuyama hasn't won since the 2017 WGC Akron event, but 87 starts later, he will try to match the triumph from his only other 54-hole outright US PGA lead, at WGC Shanghai in 2016.

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