In this article, you’ll discover interesting details about Shota Hayafuji, the caddie of Hideki Matsuyama, a Japanese professional golfer.
Hideki Matsuyama, the former world No. 2, has won the Memorial Tournament, two World Golf Championship tournaments, and two Waste Management Phoenix Opens so far in his career. Of course, his most significant achievement was at the 2021 Masters competition.
But, on all of these occasions, who is carrying his bag?
Meet Shota Hayafuji, Hideki Matsuyama’s caddie.
Hideki Matsuyama Caddie: Who Is Shota Hayafuji?
Hideki has had the same man in his bag for the past few years. Shota Hayafuji is his name, and he appears to be a very good player himself, as evidenced by his China Tour player profile.
A caddie assists a player more than one may imagine while playing golf.
Shota Hayafuji Age: How Old Is He?
Hideki Matsuyama’s caddie, Shota Hayafuji, appears in his twenties. We could not give our readers his precise age because he has made his age information public.
His boss, Hideki Matsuyama, is 29 years old. On February 25, 1992, he was born in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan.
Shota Hayafuji Biography
Shota first appeared with the six-time PGA Tour winner at the Sony Open in Hawaii and has been with him ever since.
Hayafuji assisted Hideki in claiming The Master’s title earlier this year, making him the first Japanese player.
It’s worth noting that Hayafuji competes in golf on the China Tour.
He shot a five-over 77 in the last round, which included four birdies, a quadruple bogey, a double, a triple, and, ultimately, a hole-in-one.
Matsuyama and Hayafuji appear to be excellent buddies. The latter even posts about their travels on Instagram, allowing admirers to follow along with them.
Shota Hayafuji Job
A player and a caddy usually work together for years. Hayafuji has been collaborating with Matsuyama since late 2018.
Anyone who is acquainted with Japanese culture understands the importance of bowing. Matsuyama’s caddie, Shota, went viral after the Japanese golfer won the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.
Hideki Matsuyama’s caddie Shota Hayafuji replaced the pin on 18 and bowed to Augusta National.
A wonderful gesture of respect to the course they had battled and won. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/J7UCNxOJjH— Dec Brennan (@DecB1) April 12, 2021
Hayafuji startled everyone by turning to the course and bowing after removing the flag (like all winning caddies do).
Shota Hayafuji Salary Details
Hayafuji’s pay is determined by Matsuyama’s performance in each tournament, as it is with other caddies. Every caddie has a wage structure that they agree on with the golfer with whom they work. This information is usually kept private.
We have a rough understanding of a PGA Tour caddie’s regular sliding scale.
According to the PGA Tour, Matsuyama has earned $1.6 million in the 2021 season thus far. Depending on where they place on the leaderboard, caddies often earn five to ten percent of the golfer’s earnings.
Hayafuji’s cut would be between $80,000 and $160,000. Given Matsuyama’s performance in the overall competitions, this number is expected to skyrocket.
Meet Shota Hayafuji On Instagram
Shota has gained popularity on social media platforms thanks to his boss, Matsuyama.
The caddie, @shotahayafuji on Instagram, has 21K followers as of this writing. Almost all of his feed is filled with pictures of him and Hideki. On his 29th birthday, Shota uploaded a celebratory post.