Who is Hideki Matsuyama's caddie?

Hideki Matsuyama is the first ever Japanese golfer to win a men's major golf championship, the 2021 Masters Tournament. He was born on February 25, 1992, in Matsuyama, Japan, and is the most successful Japanese golfer on the PGA Tour, with nine wins.

Hideki Matuyama’s parents are Mikio and Megumi Matsuyama. His father introduced him to golf when he was only four years old. He completed his education at Tohoku Fukushi University, where he played collegiate golf as an amateur player.

His amateur days were also as bright as his professional days. As an amateur, he won several tournaments, including the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in 2010 and 2011, the Japan Collegiate Championship in 2011 and 2012 and the World University Games in 2011.

Matsuyama has won two Waste Management Phoenix Open events, eight Japan Golf Tour titles, two Asian Amateur Championships, and, most recently, the 2024 Genesis Invitational. Furthermore, he has won two World Golf Championship events in 2016 and 2017. He also has eight top-ten finishes in major tournaments and five Presidents Cup appearances.

In February 2024, Matsuyama emerged victorious in the Genesis Invitational, having trailed the lead by six strokes going into the final round. It was his first victory on the PGA Tour since the Hawaii-based Sony Open in 2022. In order to make up the six-shot deficit, he shot 62, the second-lowest score in the course's history.

Hideki Matsuyama's caddie

Hideki Matsuyama’s caddie is Shota Hayafuji as of April 2024.

Shota Hayafuji has been Matsuyama's looper since 2019. Hayafuji played golf on the China Tour, before becoming a caddie. Hideki's first major victory came with the support of Shota, who showed his respect for Hideki by removing his hat and bowing his head after winning the 2021 Masters Tournament. This moment went viral on social media and won many fan’s hearts. Hideki also won the 2020 BMW Championship and 2019 Asian Golf Championship with him.

Although it's unclear how Hayafuji and Matsuyama met, their friendship is evident from Hayafuji's Instagram, which features photos of their trips across the golfing world. In early 2019, Hayafuji made his debut as Hideki's looper at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

At the 2011 Masters, where Hideki tied for 27th place and was the low amateur, he had Taisho Okabe as his looper when he first started playing golf as an amateur and then as a professional. It's unclear when that collaboration came to an end, but Hideki showed up for the 2012 Masters, accompanied by Katsuya Kobayashi, as his caddie.

Hideki later collaborated with Caddie Daisuke Shindo for a brief period of time. Over the course of several years, they enjoyed some success together, which included the first five of his PGA Tour titles.

How much is the net worth of Shota Hayafuji?

There is no information available on the net worth of Shota Hayafuji.

Matsuyama earned $4 million for his ninth victory on the PGA Tour, the 2024 Genesis Invitational. For the most part, caddies receive 10% of the money won, 7% of the money won if they place in the top 10, and 5% of the money won if they place anywhere else. Accordingly, Shota Hayafuji, Matsuyama's caddie, received $400,000 for the victory. As a caddie, this is the biggest payout he has ever gotten.

Matsuyama has earned around $2.07 million for winning the 2021 Masters Tournament and as a caddie, Shota earned nearly $207,000.