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The 29-year-old said it wasn't a case of anxiety when the trophy was getting closer, but rather he had been nervous from the beginning of his round.<\/p>\n
"My nerves really didn't start on the second nine, it was right from the start – until the very last putt," he said.<\/p>\n
This was evident when he shanked his tee shot on the first hole into the trees.<\/p>\n
![\"Hideki](\"https:\/\/vms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/2021\/04\/352929\/pickerImage.jpg\")
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Matsuyama said he hoped that his success would 'open the floodgates' for major winners from Japan – which boasts roughly 10 million golfers.<\/p>\n
"Hopefully I'll be a pioneer in this and many other Japanese will follow."<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Masters official website agreed, saying the win would give a 'massive boost' to Matsuyama's homeland<\/a>.<\/p>\n He became just the seventh man to win both the low amateur (being best-placed amateur player, which he achieved in 2011) and a green jacket in his career, joining legendary company.<\/p>\n https:\/\/twitter.com\/SportsCenter\/status\/1381394612800094209<\/a><\/p>\n The other six names are on the list are Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Cary Middlecoff, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia.<\/p>\n Will Zalatoris, the 24-year-old Masters first-timer who garnered attention due to his resemblance of a Happy Gilmore<\/em> character<\/a>, finished one shot behind.<\/p>\n But it was another American young gun, Xander Schauffele, who kept the pressure on Matsuyama until disaster struck with three holes to go.<\/p>\n Schauffele's charge to the green jacket was rendered all but over after a triple-bogey in the final round – his first at a Major across a total of 1041 holes.<\/a><\/p>\n He was the second Japanese golfer to triumph at August in the space of a week, with 17-year-old Tsubasa Kajitani winning this year's Augusta National Women's Amateur.<\/p>\n![\"Schauffele's](\"https:\/\/vms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/2021\/04\/352924\/pickerImage.jpg\")
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