Do we like them?

Do we like Hideki Matsuyama?

Our score: 7 out of 10. A clean record and a gracious public manner, but the record on his views is thin, so we can't go higher.

Matsuyama is the golfer who became Japan's first male major champion, winning the Masters in 2021. Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga then gave him the Prime Minister's Award, saying the win gave courage and hope to areas hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. That tells you what he means back home.

On the harm check, the reporting turned up nothing: no campaigning against LGBTQ+ people, women or migrants, no conspiracy theories, no climate denial in his own words. He is famously quiet and sticks to golf, so the record on his views is thin rather than glowing. I found nothing about who he works with that raises a flag either, but that is also thin.

The only brush with controversy was on the course. In February 2024, internet rules sleuths claimed his ball moved at the 17th in the final round of the Genesis Invitational. CBS rules analyst Mark Dusbabek said it did not move under the rules, no penalty applied, and Matsuyama went on to win.

The best look at his character came at the WM Phoenix Open in February 2026. He stepped away from his putt on the 72nd hole after a scream from the gallery, missed it, then lost a playoff to Chris Gotterup after hitting into the water. Fans were furious on his behalf, but he blamed no one and pointed to his own bad tee shot.

On the good-stuff side, the record is the Prime Minister's Award and what he meant to Japan's disaster-hit north-east. I couldn't find verified charity work in his name, and it's better to say so than to pad it out. That's honestly the whole list.

He also showed up for his country again at the Presidents Cup at Medinah in September 2026, where the Internationals led going into the last day but the US came back to win 17-13. Matsuyama lost his Sunday singles to Morikawa 1up. A loss, but no drama off the course.