AKRON, Ohio – There wasn’t much conversation between Tiger Woods and Hideki Matsuyama on Thursday – “His English isn’t very good,” Woods explained, “and my Japanese is nonexistent” – but the 21-year-old from Japan impressed his tough-to-impress playing partner.
“He has a boatload of talent,” Woods said of Matsuyama, who double-bogeyed the final hole to shoot 2-over 72. “He knows what he’s doing out there. And the more time he is out here, the older he gets, he will develop more shots. The talent is there.”
Matsuyama has already finished in the top 10 at both the U.S. Open and the Open Championship this year, and has compiled a pair of wins on the Japan Golf Tour.