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Before this past weekend, no Japanese player had ever led The Masters after any individual round.

That sure changed in a hurry didn’t it?

After Justin Rose took his tournament lead into the night following the first 36 holes, the newest champion and bearer of the Green Jacket, Hideki Matsuyama, went to work.

Matsuyama’s Saturday was not only a tournament shifting round, but also a historical one.

The 29-year-old handled the changing conditions of the fairways and greens and shot -7; Leading comfortably over the charging efforts of Will Zalatoris and Xander Schauffele.

For as good as Matsuyama was, you have to commend the effort of Zalatoris as well. At just 24-years-old, he’s got a bright future. He also had an all time tweet after Sunday.

To help break down another April in Augusta, the great Andy North joined The Dan Dakich Show on Monday. You may have not seen it in Matsuyama’s eyes, but North discussed the immense pressure under him.

“He’s a terrific guy and not very boastful,” North said. “He had more pressure on him to win than anybody I can ever remember at a Major Championship while playing for the whole country of Japan. This win will probably be worth up to a billion dollars for him over the rest of his career.”

If you think golf in the United States is exploding, take a look at Japan.

They are obsessed. And now they have their big star.

The people of Japan rally around the big studs. And North mentioned that Matsuyama is always in the spotlight.

“Hideki travels with a crew of close to 50 people from television and print media following him,” North added. “He does 15 or 20 interviews after every round just for his home country. In Japan, literally every TV in the country would have been on The Masters.”

Don’t forget that The Olympics are being held in Japan too.

Imagine Matsuyama walking into the stadium carrying the torch with his Green Jacket on. You think that arena would ever stop cheering? From from it.

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