back
No items found.
Members only
0
October 12, 2022
2 min read

Hideki’s Big Favor

Hideki Matsuyama could have joined LIV Golf... but then he didn't, and that was a big deal

Hideki’s Big Favor
Hideki’s Big Favor

Every advertisement and promotion for this week’s Zozo Championship will heavily feature Hideki Matsuyama. The same was true in 2019 when the PGA Tour’s only Japanese event debuted and in 2021 when Matsuyama, the country’s golfing icon, arrived as the reigning Masters champion and proceeded to win the event. Clearly, he is pivotal to the identity of Zozo Championship.

More broadly, though, he has become critical to the future of the PGA Tour. Throughout the summer, rumor after rumor tied Matsuyama to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series, with offers reportedly in the $300- to $400-million range. If those figures seem high, keep in mind that signing Hideki likely would have earned LIV a Japanese TV deal.

But it didn’t happen.

In late August, Hideki ended the courtship and LIV dropped a few Japanese players who were apparently serving as placeholders for a Matsuyama-led team. The failed negotiations were a blow to LIV’s efforts to gain traction in a big, lucrative golf market.

These days, Hideki is, as he said in a pre-tournament press conference, “fully committed to the PGA Tour.” He added, “The players who left did so because they thought it was the right thing to do. So I can’t say anything about them. I am playing on the PGA Tour and I want to continue doing my best.” He also expressed support for the Tour at last month’s Presidents Cup: “Simply, [the PGA Tour] is where I belong.”

There have been no media reports about what the PGA Tour might have said to Matsuyama’s camp in recent months. Maybe the two sides haven’t talked at all. Regardless, the Tour owes Hideki a debt of gratitude. He is the biggest non-Western star in the men’s game, the same one who was snubbed in last year’s Player Impact Program payouts, and who could have set off a domino effect by leaving. He helped the Tour avert disaster, at least for now.

Hideki will undoubtedly feel the love from the Zozo fans this weekend. He’d better start feeling the same from execs in Ponte Vedra, and soon.

This piece originally appeared in The Fried Egg Newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

No items found.
About the author

Will Knights

Golf was a big part of my upbringing as I grew up with a PGA Professional as a dad. I went to the course with him in the morning, helped out in the pro shop, caddied, and ultimately played golf in college before helping out in the early days of Fried Egg. While I’ve been involved in many different aspects of our organization over the years, today you’ll largely find me at our events and helping our membership as our Community Manager. And while I love this position, my dream job will always be starting shortstop for the Chicago Cubs.

Find out more
forum

Leave a comment or start a discussion

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Jan 13, 2025
Delete

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere. uis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Jan 13, 2025
Delete

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere. uis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
forum

Leave a comment or start a discussion

Give us your thoughts...

Engage in our content with hundreds of other Fried Egg Golf Members

Engage in our content with hundreds of other Fried Egg Golf Members

Join The Club
log in
Fried Egg Golf Club

Get full access to exclusive benefits from Fried Egg Golf

  • Member-only content
  • Community discussions forums
  • Member-only experiences and early access to events
Join The Club