Can Japanese Golfer Matsuyama Land Another Major This Year?

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Sometimes in sports, adverse situations for some can present opportunities for others. Golf is no different in that respect, given that fortunes can change in an instant for the leading competitors.

Famous players can perform below expectations or suffer injury problems, which opens the door for someone else to get their moment in the spotlight.

Hideki Matsuyama enjoyed such an opportunity recently at the 2021 Masters Tournament, keeping his cool to make the cut in each round, before producing an exceptional final round to claim the big prize.

Triumphing at Augusta, donning the famous green jacket, and lifting the iconic silver clubhouse Masters trophy, are memories to cherish. But can he repeat that success?

Until the Masters Tournament this year, Matsuyama had only won five PGA Tour events and six on the Japan Golf Tour, the most recent of those being the WGC Bridgestone Invitational back in August 2017. Likewise, he has otherwise failed to finish inside the top ten at any other tournament in 2021, before the spectacular display at Augusta.

Looking at the latest betting odds, many of the leading sportsbooks have Dustin Johnson as the outright favorite to win the US Open this year. That is, of course, depending on whether he can recover from knee problems which might see him miss the upcoming US PGA Championship. Currently top of the Official World Golf Ranking, which he also led at the end of 2020, the 36-year-old American golfer is always a contender at the biggest tournaments.

Nevertheless, odds and options can vary greatly from one sportsbook to the next, which is why checking out online reviews at sites like SBO.net can prove helpful for golf bettors. Along with detailed guides aimed at improving the wagering experience, visitors to the site can browse reviews and information surrounding the top sportsbooks, tailored to their own locations.

But, while it’s pretty clear who the sportsbooks are backing, what do fans think? If there’s one thing that everyone enjoys about golf, it’s the capacity for surprising outcomes. The Masters Tournament at Augusta was a perfect example, where defending champion Dustin Johnson missed the cut in Round 2. Becoming the first Asian-born player to win a men’s major golf championship, Matsuyama made the most of his opportunity to become the surprise winner.

That superb victory has inevitably boosted betting odds and expectations for Matsuyama, ahead of the next major golf tournaments. While the 29-year-old has enjoyed numerous top ten finishes during his professional career, his task will now be to avoid being a flash in the pan, which is a legacy that often befalls many golfers.

The remainder of this year will certainly be a huge test for Matsuyama, now that his profile in the world of professional golf has risen significantly. Considered to be amongst the best twenty golfers in the game since winning the Masters, maintaining or even increasing that profile will be a huge challenge, albeit one he is undoubtedly relishing.

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