The memories of Hideki Matsuyama’s incredible performance five years ago still linger. He had started the tournament with a bang, carding a stunning 63 to tie the course record. His impressive score of 9-under-par had set the tone for what promised to be an exciting event. However, little did anyone know that the tournament would take an unexpected turn. The COVID-19 pandemic, which was rapidly spreading globally, led to the PGA Tour canceling the remainder of the event.

Fast-forward to the present, and Matsuyama’s fortunes have taken a drastic turn. He’s currently struggling with a 5-over score, a far cry from his impressive performance five years ago. “Five years ago, Hideki Matsuyama opened with a 63. He’s 5-over today, but on the bright side, at least there’s no global pandemic”, read the tweet by Jason Sobel of SiriusXMPGATOUR. 

Last year, Hideki Matsuyama did great at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2024, finishing sixth with a score of 15-under, building on his strong golf game and that’s the reason the fans are dissapointed this time. While it’s understandable that golfers have good and bad days, fans are ripping Matsuyama apart over his scores and are saying some pretty brutal things.

The comments section is filled with criticism, with some fans questioning his skills and others expressing disappointment at his lackluster performance.

Netizens are ripping Hideki Matsuyama in the comment section

Starting off strong with what one fan wrote, “So hideki matsuyama, just withdraw already you loser. Save yourself some time my god”, while the other wrote, “Hideki Matsuyama won’t hesitate to pack his sh*t and go home, if he doesn’t make a quality shot soon.” Well, it is kind of true that Hideki Matsuyama withdrew from the 2024 BMW Championship, and this time around, he was struggling with a disappointing score of 5-over 77, which led many to speculate that his decision to withdraw was influenced more by his poor performance than his cited lower back discomfort, which he described as making it “impossible to play” after experiencing it while warming up.

Many other fan echoed the same sentiment as they wrote, “Hideki Matsuyama is almost a garuantee to W/D after his round. That is what he does when he starts off sh**ty” and “Hideki Matsuyama WD is coming in 4 more holes. Calling it now.”  Well, this also comes off as a brutal dig for Hideki Matsuyama, as the golfer was pretty sure he was going to have a strong showing at the PLAYERS Championship where he is currently tied for T60. “It’s very simple really … hit the ball straight and make a lot of putts,” he had said on the last weeks event at Bay Hill. Matsuyama finished tied for 22nd at the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational, with a final score of +3, which honestly wasn’t that bad but fans will surely consider it luck if the golfer finishes the tournament this time.

Another fan quoted what they heard on a commentary and wrote, “Hideki Matsuyama is +4 thru 5 holes and the announcer just said, “Maybe he had some bad sushi” 💀💀”, and well, that is… something. What do you think about Matsuyama’s next move? Let us know in the comment section below!