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Hideki Matsuyama has suggested that he would love to see Ryo Hisatsune make it onto the International Team at the 2028 Presidents Cup after they teamed up together at Medinah this year.
Hisatsune received a captain’s pick from Geoff Ogilvy ahead of this year’s event. He had been 10th in the qualification standings having finished 47th in the FedEx Cup this season.
It was not entirely surprising to see the 24-year-old paired with Matsuyama at Medinah. Unfortunately, finding the right partner for the 2021 Masters champion has not always been the easiest task over the years.
Hideki Matsuyama reacts to playing alongside Ryo Hisatsune at the Presidents Cup
They did click on Thursday, however, with Matsuyama and Hisatsune defeating Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele in the fourballs to put the first International point on the board.
They were beaten by Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns on Saturday morning having been ahead on the 15th tee. Perhaps surprisingly, Ogilvy did not send them out again in the afternoon.
Both men were beaten on Sunday, with Hisatsune unable to halt Young’s momentum on the back nine. The youngster had actually been two up in the early stages of their match.
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And while reflecting on his partnership with Hisatsune during the week, Matsuyama suggested that he enjoyed playing alongside his countryman.
“As you said, yeah, it was my seventh time playing in the Presidents Cup, and it was very different having Ryo by my side. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the results that we wanted in the end obviously, but he played pretty well throughout the week, which helped me, too,” he said.
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“So, hopefully in two years when the Presidents Cup, the next one comes around, I hope we both will be able to get picked and play our best.”
A promising Presidents Cup debut for Ryo Hisatsune
There were moments when the occasion appeared to get to Hisatsune, which you can completely understand given that it was his first Presidents Cup and he was playing alongside his nation’s greatest golfer.
But the potential he has is clear to see. While Ogilvy put many of his experienced players later in the order on Sunday, it was a statement that he sent Hisatsune out first.
It bodes well for the team in black and gold that he did contribute on several occasions across the week. With two more years on the PGA Tour under his belt, he may well be a key player for the Internationals at Kingston Heath.
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