It’s been a frustrating year for Ryo Ishikawa, the 14-time Japan Golf Tour winner, having to take a break for five months due to a back injury.
It was the longest Ishikawa has spent away from the game, but it was never far from his mind.
“I suffered my back injury (lumber discopathy) at Pebble Beach in February,”said Ishikawa, who was forced to rest for multiple months and undergo rehab after realizing his injury was worse than expected. “The first couple of months, there was no golf which was funny for me. It’s the first time I had to stop playing golf, as golf is my life. I just read books and hung out with my family and wife. We travelled around Tokyo, far away from golf, but I was thinking about it all the time.”
The 25-year-old returned to the PGA TOUR in July, but struggled in competition until his long-time friend, World No. 13 Hideki Matsuyama, selected him to represent Japan in the World Cup of Golf to be played on the famed Melbourne Sandbelt’s Kingston Heath Golf Club in Australia.
“I returned in July after five months,” Ishikawa said. “I missed the cut by very far in my first event back. Hideki picked me as his partner for the World Cup in August which caught me by surprise. I was still working on my back injury.”
Two weeks after being selected to play in the World Cup of Golf, he won the RIZAP KBC Augusta by an impressive five shots.
Ishikawa arrives in Melbourne as one of the most decorated players in the field, with 14 victories on the Japan Golf Tour. He reached a career-high 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking when he won five times in 2009.
“[Matsuyama’s] decision to pick me was a big honour,” he said “Also, it’s an honour for me to represent Japan. It means a lot for Japanese golf and also for the both of us to play in the World Cup. I’ve known Hideki for over 10 years now, so we’re long-time friends and it’s going to be great to play with him.”
While it was a surprise selection for Ishikawa, Matsuyama was never in doubt as to who his partner would be.
Ishikawa brings World Cup of Golf experience to the team after debuting in the event three years ago, finishing in a tie for third place. Meanwhile, Matsuyama will represent Japan for the first time in the event.
“Right from the start, I was hoping Ryo would be recovered from his injury and able to play,” said Matsuyama, who recently won the Japan Open. “There was no second choice; I am looking forward to playing with him.”
Matsuyama and Ishikawa pose a formidable partnership, combining for 23 victories worldwide. The duo is hoping their skills will complement each other well in hopes of winning Japan’s third World Cup of Golf title, and their first since Toshimitsu Izawa and Shigeki Maruyama claimed the trophy in 2002.
“We probably should be a good pair because our games are so vastly different, so hopefully we will do well,” Matsuyama said.
“Hideki plays totally different from the way I do,” added Ishikawa “His ball striking is awesome, whether it’s the driver, which he always keeps on the fairway, and his irons are always perfect. “He’s a much better player in the long game. However, my short game is my strong point, so it could be a good combination.”
Matsuyama has cemented himself as one of the most all-around players on the PGA TOUR, consistently ranking inside the Official World Golf Ranking’s top 20 for the last four years. With top-10 finishes at the 2015 PGA Championship and 2016 Masters Tournament, supplemented by two victories this season at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and Japan Open, Matsuyama reached a career-high ranking of No. 10 earlier this year.
With Ishikawa back in the winner’s circle, Matsuyama remaining a consistent commodity on the PGA TOUR and Japan preparing to host the 2020 Olympic Games, which will again feature golf, Japanese golf fans are eagerly anticipating their nation’s involvement in the World Cup of Golf.
“Izawa and Maruyama inspired me when they also won the World Cup” Ishikawa said. “Japanese golf fans are excited to see Hideki and I team up, and we look forward to trying to win the World Cup against some of the strong teams like Australia and the United States.”
