Matsuyama's Caddie Shota Hayafuji Out for Rest of 2026 Season

Hideki Matsuyama's longtime caddie, Shota Hayafuji, will sit out the remainder of the 2026 season because of a neck injury, according to Matsuyama's longtime manager and interpreter, Bob Turner. The absence is expected to extend through the Presidents Cup at Medinah No. 3 outside Chicago in late September, where Matsuyama is all but certain to represent the International Team.

What is Shota Hayafuji's injury?

Hayafuji has a herniated disk in his neck that has caused pain extending down his right shoulder and arm. He had targeted a return at the Wyndham Championship, but the condition worsened to the point where he could not make a fist with his right hand. Facing that setback, Matsuyama told him to take the rest of the season off.

Who is caddying for Matsuyama now?

Taiga Tabuchi will continue on the bag, a role he had already been sharing with Hayafuji for much of the season after Hayafuji and his wife welcomed a baby earlier this year. Hayafuji has caddied for Matsuyama since 2019 and became a widely recognized figure in golf for his respectful bow to Augusta National following Matsuyama's 2021 Masters victory.

The change comes during one of Matsuyama's steadiest stretches of the year. He has finished in the top 15 in six of his last seven starts and reached the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club, where he holed out from a greenside bunker on the seventh hole during the final round and sat among the top 20 on the leaderboard. He has made the cut in all 22 of his starts this season and passed $5.6 million in earnings.