Maruyama hopes to inspire repeat of 1998 Presidents Cup

Twenty-six years have passed since Shigeki Maruyama produced a performance for the ages, going a perfect 5-0-0 in his Presidents Cup debut at Royal Melbourne in Australia. That performance powered what has since become the lone International Team victory to date against the United States in the biennial competition.

The now 54-year-old three-time winner on the PGA Tour emerged as an unlikely star in 1998, following a famous 20.5 — 11.5 drubbing of the Americans, whose formidable squad boasted a prime Tiger Woods.

Maruyama recounts his heroics with great fondness, as it included a famous Foursome victory alongside Craig Parry over Woods and Fred Couples.

With the Presidents Cup set to start Thursday at Royal Montreal in Canada, all eyes will be on the current crop of Asian stars to see if any of them, including Maruyama's compatriot Hideki Matsuyama, can emulate the feat.

"As I was a rookie, and every American player was a superstar, I was not afraid of the matches," recalled Maruyama.

"I made up my mind, thinking it wouldn't matter if I lost. So I was not afraid. The only thing in my heart was to defeat the American team," the Japanese veteran, who earned the nickname the 'Smiling Assassin' for his exploits in Australia, explained.

He remembered International Team captain, the late Peter Thomson, had ensured the players were relaxed, which he thought was a vital ingredient for the win.

"He (Thomson) wanted to make the team atmosphere better. That's why I wasn't so serious. I think I was influenced by Peter. So I would also smile a lot and yell 'wow!' to inspire the team," said Maruyama, who is only one of six players to own a 5-0-0 record in the Presidents Cup.

"After the event was over, I thought it would be funny to show off, and I remember putting the Cup on my head and shouting happily."

With Maruyama serving as one of five captain's assistants to Mike Weir this week, one of his tasks will surely be to keep Matsuyama loose, but fully focused at the challenge ahead.

Matsuyama won twice on the PGA Tour in 2024 and qualified for a sixth International Team appearance as the No 1 ranked player. The 31-year-old also became the first Japanese male golfer to win an Olympic medal, claiming bronze in Paris this summer, where Maruyama was the team leader. The other Asians in the International Team include South Korean quartet Tom Kim, Im Sung-jae, An Byeong-hun and Kim Si-woo.

"Mike felt that Hideki was slightly different from the usual Hideki he was familiar with (during the Paris Olympics)," Maruyama explained.

"During practice, we tried to keep things light and enjoyable, without getting in Hideki's way. We were giggling, and having a good time.

"Seeing Hideki laughing like that was unusual for Mike, so he mentioned that my presence was probably significant. I want to support Mike and the International Team in any way that I can."

With a career 7-10-5 (win-loss-tie) record, Matsuyama will be fired up for an International Team victory. He was particularly disappointed with his singles record at the last two editions, when he gave up leads over Tony Finau and Sam Burns in 2019 and 2022, respectively, having to settle for ties.

"Looking back, I wish my putting went in a little more. My putting was horrific and I wasn't able to add points. I was really hoping to get a full point. I feel I struggled to contribute to my team," Matsuyama said two years ago, when he was 2-up over Burns at the turn.

"In 2019, I had the lead (against Finau) going into those last few holes and let him back in, which was really disappointing. We came so close to getting a win. It still frustrates me to think back at how close we came to getting it done."

The spotlight will also be on one of golf's brightest stars, Tom Kim who enjoyed a spectacular debut at Quail Hollow two years ago. The 22-year-old Korean, who is already a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, emerged as the team's unlikely talisman with some gutsy play and youthful exuberance. The team's 2022 captain Trevor Immelman, who will serve as one of Weir's assistants this week, hailed him as golf's next global superstar.

Two particular golf shots that won Immelman over came during a four-ball session, when Tom Kim and Kim Si-woo teamed up to beat Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele in the last match on the course.

With 233 yards to the pin on the 18th hole, Tom Kim rifled a glorious two-iron approach to set up his team's winning birdie, which he duly buried and exploded in a massive celebration.

"He's been such a tremendous gift to our sport," said Immelman. "He's about 240 yards out — he's probably 60 yards behind his opponents — I look back and I see a who's who of American golf sitting in carts behind him.

"I see Thomas, I see Spieth, I see Finau, I see Homa, I see Morikawa, all of them sitting on carts 15 yards from him. And this kid plays a two-iron to 10 feet and makes the putt. To me, that's impressive stuff, shows some guts."

Kim Si-woo, one of six captain's picks, returns for his third appearance at the tournament, having been the team's leading scorer in 2022 with three points. Im will also be making a third appearance, while An, who made his debut in 2019 with two points, will be back for his second.

The writer is senior director, Marketing & Communications — APAC for the PGA Tour.