HIGHLIGHTS
YAMASHITA Masayuki: A Big Step Forward by Passing Golf’s Final Pro Test with the Top Score
The 15th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, which offers golfers a ticket to the Masters, the world’s most prestigious tournament, was held at the Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course from October 3rd to 6th, 2024. The highest-ranked participant in last year’s tournament was Masayuki Yamashita, winner of the Abema Tour DUNLOP PHOENIX Tournament Challenge in Fukushima in 2022. We spoke with Yamashita, who passed the PGA Qualification Pro Test in August with the top score and has high expectations for the future, about what he finds appealing about golf.
Around when did you first start playing golf?
“I have a sister who is one year older than me (professional golfer Miyu Yamashita), and she started playing golf when she was five years old, but I was learning karate and judo at the time. I was a bit of a crybaby when I was little, and my parents were concerned about that, so they started sending me to the dojo when I was three years old to train my body and mind. My first experience with golf was when I was in the fifth grade of elementary school. It was when I went to a driving range with my dad and sister. I thought that all there was to it was hitting a ball on the floor with a club, but I couldn’t even do that. I just kept swinging and missing. But after trying a few times, I was able to actually hit the ball, and I really enjoyed the feeling. It was so much fun. From there, I just dove head-first into golf.”
What do you think makes golf so appealing and enjoyable?
“Golf is a sport without any referees. That means you have to have all the rules in your head and use your own judgment when you play, which makes it the ultimate individual competition. Another big thing about golf is that nature is also an opponent. This includes the weather, grass growth, wind and rain, and also the trees on the course. Every course is different, and the playing conditions are also different every time. Under such circumstances, you have to use your own judgment to decide how you want to hit the ball, and even then, it may not travel as far as you want it to. I think that what makes golf both difficult and enjoyable is this constant battle, and having to face the different challenges and overcome them. As a spectator, it’s interesting to see the different strengths that each golfer has and how they use them in their approach to the same course, and by watching them I can also pick up some ideas for my own game.”
You’re currently a 4th-year student at Kindai University. Why did you decide to join your university’s golf team as you’re aiming to turn pro?
“I made the decision to go to Kindai University, which is considered a powerhouse in the Kansai region, because I thought that meeting friends I could play with on a team and share hopes with would be of help to me in the future. Thanks to that decision, I’ve been blessed with good friends, and I feel it was definitely the right choice. In particular, it is important for me to have friends who are in the same year as me. I’m the vice-captain of the team right now, and the captain, (Hiroto) Jono, and I have been saying, ‘I’m not gonna lose to you!’ to each other since we first started university together. Before university, I lacked stoicism and continuity, and I’m grateful for the fire that my teammates have ignited in me.”
Together with these friends, you won the team championship in the 2022 Kansai Student Men’s Autumn Division 1 Tournament.
“We all hugged each other and celebrated at the end because we had won the championship after a close matchup against Osaka Gakuin University, which had always won. They also had Kensei Hirata and Tsubasa Ukita on their team at the time. I’d won individual championships before, but winning a team competition is even more gratifying, and it was a very moving experience.”
The joy of victory aside, I’m sure that you’ve had lots of positive experiences.
“Oh, of course. I’ve been able to compete in team competitions since I was in my first year, but behind the scenes, there are other members who are frustrated that they weren’t allowed to compete. But they don’t let that frustration show, and instead follow along and support their teammates with all their heart. I really appreciated those thoughts and actions. Those of us who were playing on the course felt that we had to get the best results possible, for their sake. I said earlier that golf is the ultimate individual sport. But we were also able to come together and aim for victory. Having everyone’s support while I’m out there giving it my all is a precious thing. This experience has become a very valuable asset to me.”
You won the individual championship and the team championship, and you also passed the PGA Qualification Pro Test with the top score.
“It was my first time at the Pro Test, so I was really nervous at first. I wasn’t getting the scores I was hoping for in the second stage of the test. That’s when I looked up to the sky, took a deep breath, and told myself that I shouldn’t push myself too hard, and then all the tension in my shoulders just melted away. From then on, my scores were more consistent, and I was able to play in the finals naturally without straining myself. Over the past four years of university, I’ve gained confidence in my game as well as mental fortitude.”
Proof of this could be seen in your performance at the 2022 Abema Tour DUNLOP PHOENIX Tournament Challenge in Fukushima, where you kept your lead from the very first day and became the seventh lower tour amateur to win the tournament.
“Yeah, that tournament was particularly memorable. I had a two-stroke lead, but then on the 18th hole, Han Lee, who was playing in front of me, got an eagle on that hole and we were tied. The last hole was a par 5, and my tee shot landed right in the middle of the bunker. My second shot was the really important one. The bunker had a really high lip, and it was a tricky line, so the sensible thing to do would be to chip it out and hope for a birdie on the hole, but I decided to take a risk and go all out. It turned out to be a super shot and I ended up with an eagle on the hole, so I won by two strokes. I managed to keep from playing defensively until the end, and hitting with all my might to win that tournament gave me a boost in confidence that lasted well beyond that.”
You have confidence in yourself, you have strong mentality, and you have high expectations for yourself as a pro going forward. What kind of golfer do you aspire to be?
“To be honest, I consider myself to be more of a relaxed golfer. My goal is to be a golfer who plays with a calm manner and then surprises and impresses everyone. Tiger Woods is a good example of that. He can make you think he had a bad shot, but then pull it in as hard as he can on the next shot, or even sink a shot from what looks like an impossible position. In any case, such players can hit shots that defy the imagination. I’d like to be the kind of golfer who plays in a way that thrills and excites people. What’s most encouraging for me is that Jono, with whom I had a friendly rivalry throughout college, also passed the Pro Test. I’m looking forward to moving forward as a pro golfer alongside a friend who is the same age as me.”
This year, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was held in Japan. What do you think is the appeal of this tournament?
“This tournament has a lot of history. Hideki Matsuyama won it in the past, and the winner qualifies for the Masters and the U.S. Open, so it also serves as a stepping stone to the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world. I’m not competing in it this year, but it is a tournament where new stars are born, so it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.”
What golf courses in Japan would you recommend?
“I guess the first would be Hirono Golf Club in Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture. It opened in 1932, so it’s a rather historic golf club, and it has a prestigious course that is highly regarded around the world for its excellent soil, terrain, scenery, and strategic value. Another one I can recommend is Rokko Kokusai Golf Club in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, where I often go with my dad and sister. The course here has a varied design that makes good use of the natural terrain, so you need a wide range of techniques and good ball control to play on it. It’s a pretty challenging course to play. Every golf course in Japan is very nature-rich and expressive. You can find world-class golf courses all over Japan, so I hope that visitors to Japan can enjoy a unique golf tourism experience in different parts of the country.”
＜Profile＞
YAMASHITA Masayuki
Born in Osaka Prefecture in 2002. Influenced by his older sister, professional golfer Miyu Yamashita, he started playing golf at the age of 10. He graduated from Osaka Toin High School and is currently a 4th-year student at Kindai University. In 2022, he won the Abema Tour DUNLOP PHOENIX Tournament Challenge in Fukushima, being only the seventh amateur to win in the tournament’s history. He was selected as a member of the 2024 Japanese national amateur golf team. In August 2024, he passed the PGA Qualification Pro Test with the top score. In 2025, he will take the next step forward in his career as a professional golfer.
