Matsuyama keeps focus on game

Hideki Matsuyama wasn't in his native Japan when the massive earthquake hit last month, but he still worried about the effect of the devastation.

When it came time for his first Masters appearance, the 19-year-old regained his concentration.

"I talked to my coach, and after we discussed and decided we were coming over here, I was able to focus myself to play golf," he said. "And this is one of the best things I can do to cope with the situation."

Matsuyama, who shot 68 in Saturday's third round, is making the most of his stay. He stands at 3-under for the tournament and has an outside shot of finishing among the top 16 golfers, which would guarantee him an invitation into the 2012 Masters.

"In the midst of the earthquake, I was very happy I was able to come over here and play," he said. "I wasn't sure whether I will be able to encourage the people in Japan by my play.

"I really wanted to enjoy this experience."

Matsuyama said he sweated out the cut line Friday after closing the second round with a bogey-bogey finish. He watched on TV and the Internet, learning he advanced on the cut number of 1-over.

"I'm very happy I was able to make the cut yesterday and I was able to play well today," he said.

Matsuyama garnered his first Masters invitation by winning last year's Asian Amateur Championship. The tournament, started by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and Augusta National Golf Club, began in 2009. Han Chang-won, the first Asian Amateur winner, shot rounds of 79-76 to miss the cut in the 2010 Masters.

Matsuyama opened this year's Masters with rounds of 72-73 to become the only one of six amateurs in the field to make the cut. In the third round, he went out in 34, then birdied No. 10. He two-putted for birdie at the par-5 13th before making his lone bogey of the day at No. 14. He bounced back two holes later, knocking his tee shot to a foot at the par-3 16th for a kick-in birdie.

"I knew that when I hit it, I hit it exactly how I planned," Matsuyama said. "I knew it was going to be close, but I didn't think it'd be that close."

Matsuyama, who bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18 in the first two rounds, parred them to finish Saturday.

"I wasn't thinking anything at all, but today," he said. "I knew that the 17th hole, the tee shot is always difficult. But I was able to do well today."

Matsuyama plans to return Monday to Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai, Japan, where he is a freshman. He said his college was damaged by the March 11 earthquake, but he didn't know the exact situation.

He will learn more next week and will take with him a grand experience.

"I'm very glad to be able to play at this beautiful a place. That's one of my impressions," he said. "And I thought the greens are very hard."

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.