ASIAN SPIRIT TO THE FORE FOR THE INTERNATIONALS
The Internationals will look to Maruyama’s heroics to propel their Presidents Cup quest.
Twenty-six years have passed since Shigeki Maruyama produced a performance for the ages by going a perfect 5-0-0 in his Presidents Cup debut at Royal Melbourne which sparked what has since become the lone International Team victory to date against the United States Team in the biennial competition.
Now at 54, the three-time PGA TOUR winner emerged as an unlikely star during that famous 20.5 – 10.5 drubbing over the Americans, who had a prime Tiger Woods in their formidable 12-man squad.
The International Team will seek inspiration from Shigeki Maruyama’s stellar record in this year’s Presidents Cup.
Maruyama often recounts with great fondness of his heroics, which included a famous Foursomes victory with Craig Parry over Woods and Fred Couples, and with the Presidents Cup being played at Royal Montreal from 24-29 September, all eyes will be on the current Asian crop of stars if they can emulate a similar feat to lend to a much- desired International Team victory.
“As I was a rookie and every American player was a superstar, I was not afraid of the matches,” recalled Maruyama. “I made up my mind, thinking it wouldn’t matter if I lost. So I was not afraid. The only thing in my heart was to defeat the American team,” recalled the Japanese veteran, who subsequently earned the nicknamed, the ‘Smiling Assassin’ after Royal Melbourne.
He vividly remembers International Team captain, the late Peter Thomson, had kept his players relaxed all week in the team room and functions. “He wanted to make the team atmosphere better. That’s why I acted very brightly, and I wasn’t so serious and wanted to cheer everyone up. I think I was influenced by Peter. So I would also smile a lot and yell ‘wow!’ to inspire the team,” said Maruyama.
The winning International Team in 1998
Yet, he never imagined he would go on to produce an unblemished winning record, an achievement matched by only five other players – Mark O’Meara, Woods, Jim Furyk, Branden Grace and Jordan Spieth – in Presidents Cup history.
“After the event was over, I felt like ‘Ah, how wonderful’. But I didn’t think about it at all during the week. I worked very hard and at the end of the week, everyone said to me, ‘This is five wins!’ and I wondered, ‘Oh? Was I so good?’
“I didn’t feel I did very well until I was congratulated by everyone. My seniors, Greg (Norman), Nick (Price), Steve (Elkington) and the others started saying: ‘You’re amazing!’ Then I thought it would be nice to show off. I remember putting the Cup on my head and shouted happily. I have a character like a comedian!”
Korea’s Beyong Hun An will be back in a second appearance for the Internationals.
The responsibility to carry Japan’s hopes and the International Team’s challenge at Royal Montreal may well fall on Maruyama’s compatriot, Hideki Matsuyama who will make his sixth straight appearance for the team. The 31-year-old Matsuyama, who is the first Japanese male major winner, has since become Asia’s most successful golfer on the PGA TOUR following a ninth career PGA TOUR victory at the Genesis Invitational in February, and recently became the first Japanese male golfer to win an Olympic medal with a recent bronze showing in Paris this summer.
With a career 7-10-5 (win-loss-tie) record, he will be fired up at Royal Montreal once more especially when he was disappointed with his Singles showings over the last two editions where he gave up leads over Tony Finau and Sam Burns in 2019 and 2022 respectively to settle for ties.
“Looking back, I wish my putting went in a little more. My putting was horrific and I wasn’t able to add points. I’m pretty disappointed. I was really hoping to get a full point. I feel I struggled to contribute to my team,” said Matsuyama two years ago, where he led two-up over Burns at the turn.
“In 2019, I had the lead (against Finau) going into those last few holes and let him back in which was really disappointing. We came so close to getting win. It still frustrates me to think back at how close we came to getting it done.”
Star-in-the-making Tom Kim (left, with Si Woo Kim) will be the International Team’s unofficial anchor in Melbourne.
The spotlight will also be on golf’s newest star, Tom Kim who enjoyed a spectacular debut at Quail Hollow following his rapid rise onto the PGA TOUR. The 22-year-old Korean, who is already a three-time PGA TOUR winner, emerged as the team’s surprise talisman at Quail Hollow with some gutsy play and youthful exuberance where captain Trevor Immelman, who will be one of Mike Weir’s assistants this time around, hailed him as the next global golf superstar.
Immelman said: “He (Tom) has an ability to be a global superstar. I know he has the game. We’ve seen he has the game. But what I’ve learned about his personality and his heart and what he stands for this week, man, I am a huge fan.”
Two particular golf shots in quick succession that won Immelman over came during Saturday afternoon’s Fourball session came when Tom and Si Woo Kim partnered to beat Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele in the last match on the golf course, and on the final green. With 233 yards to the pin, Tom brilliantly rifled a glorious 2-iron approach to set up his team’s winning birdie, which he duly buried and exploded in a massive celebration with Si Woo and other teammates.
Sungjae Im contributed 3.5 points in 2019 and will play in his third Presidents Cup.
“He’s been such a tremendous gift to our sport,” said Immelman. “He’s about 240 yards out. He’s probably 60 yards behind his opponents. I look back and I see the who’s who of American golf in golf carts behind him. I see Thomas, I see Spieth, I see Finau, I see Homa, I see Morikawa, all of them sitting on carts 15 yards from him. And this kid pures a 2-iron to 10 feet and makes the putt. To me, that’s impressive stuff, shows some guts. That made my heart warm right there. So extremely proud of him. He went out. He did his job. He earned two points. And that is fantastic.”
Korea’s Byeong Hun An, who made a strong debut in 2019 with two points, will be back for his second appearance while Sungjae Im, who contributed 3.5 points in 2019, will make his third appearance as
a united International Team seeks only its second victory over what will be another powerful U.S. Team led by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and two-time major winner Xander Schauffele.
