2021 men’s Olympic golf: Top 10 power rankings at Kasumigaseki CC

The eyes of a nation look upon Hideki Matsuyama. The 2021 Masters winner will represent Japan in his home country’s Olympic Games.

For much of his 20s, Matsuyama showed ball striking prowess that led him to five PGA Tour wins prior to Augusta. His putter never could hold up in the majors until he became a champion on Magnolia Lane.

Winning a major championship got a monkey off his back and may help him navigate the exhaustive Japanese press coverage he continues to receive.

Matsuyama hasn’t contended for a title since the Masters, but he did make four cuts in a row before having to withdraw from the Rocket Mortgage Classic due to a positive COVID-19 test that also sidelined him for The Open.

Perhaps a little time off could be what Matsuyama needs heading into the Olympics spotlight.

Along with his win, Matsuyama owns four other top-25s playing a fairly limited schedule in 2021. The 29-year-old ranks 17th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained tee to green (1.154) and 15th in SG approach (.681).

The former world No. 2 ranks 34th or better in each 25-yard range between 125-200 yards. With a top-40 short game, Matsuyama has all the tools to contend for the podium if he can tame Kasumigaseki’s greens.

Matsuyama may have the most course knowledge, even if there’s no fans permitted into the grounds to cheer him on. As a youngster, he won the 2009 Japan Junior and 2010 Asia-Pacific Amateur (by five shots) at Kasumigaseki.