MONTREAL — Shigeki Maruyama was all smiles, similar to at all times, watching from in entrance of the twelfth inexperienced as Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im delivered a record-tying rout over America’s greatest foursomes duo Friday on the Presidents Cup.
Maruyama was often known as the “Smiling Murderer” throughout his profession. His worth as an assistant captain for the Worldwide staff is that Matsuyama is now smiling, too.
It’s been like that each one summer season. That smile is infectious.
“Hideki’s rhythm is basically vital to him, the best way he goes about his every day routine,” Maruyama mentioned by way of his son, Sean, who performed school golf at UCLA. “When he feels he wants a phrase to cheer him up, I step in and speak to him and it will get him to loosen up.”
Maruyama has been the Japan nationwide coach on the Olympics since golf returned in 2016. Matsuyama had his greatest Olympic second in Paris, profitable a bronze medal. Two weeks later, he received the primary PGA Tour playoff occasion on the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Images from Paris of Matsuyama wanting free and blissful caught the eye of Worldwide captain Mike Weir. He had one further assistant to nominate, and the selection was apparent.
“You noticed him on the Olympics. They had been each smiling. He makes Hideki really feel snug,” Weir mentioned after watching Matsuyama and Im win, 7 and 6, handing Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele their first foursomes loss within the Presidents Cup.
“That’s how I obtained the thought, the Olympics,” Weir mentioned. “I had the choice for a fifth assistant and I believed, ‘That’s the man.’ Hideki has at all times been on his personal.”
Matsuyama has been the lone Japanese participant on the Presidents Cup since 2013. Earlier than that, Ryo Ishikawa was the one Japanese participant on the Worldwide staff in 2011 and 2009. For 3 editions, there was none.
The one time the Worldwide staff had two Japanese gamers was in 1998 with Maruyama and Joe Ozaki.
“It’s been very useful,” Matsuyama mentioned by way of an interpreter. “The final time he got here was 2013. He’s serving to loads, a number of good recommendation. I’m actually blissful that he’s on our staff.”
Maruyama, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour who received 10 instances on the Japan Golf Tour, has been a mentor to the previous Masters champion for greater than a decade. They first linked when Matsuyama was taking part in in Japan and sought him out for recommendation on the quick recreation.
