This major champ made hilarious request before latest tour win

After a turbulent week, Hideki Matsuyama is now a ten-time PGA Tour winner.

Last Monday, the 32-year-old was a victim of a robbery in London during a one-night stopover following the Olympics.

It left the Japanese ace without his caddie and coach for the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis, but he put the shock incident behind him in the best possible manner.

Matsuyama took leg one of the PGA Tour play-offs, although he was made to work for his $3.6 million payout.

Despite leading by five heading into the final round, Matsuyama trailed Viktor Hovland by one with two holes to play before carding birdies on both.

But perhaps his late resurgence was down to one hilarious request that he made heading into the Sunday showdown, which caught one top coach completely off guard.

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Brad Faxon, who works with Rory McIlroy, has recalled the moment Matsuyama approached him and asked for a unique putting lesson.

That was despite Matsuyama boasting a healthy advantage at the top of the leaderboard and leading the field in putting.

We’ll let Faxon tell the tale.

“He had a five-shot lead, leading the putting stats,” Faxon said on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio yesterday.

“I asked to take a look at his putter… and then, honest to God, Hideki goes, ‘can I have a putting lesson?’ I started laughing.

“I said, ‘Hideki, you’re leading by five, putting first on the Tour this week, I want a putting lesson from you’ and I don’t think he found that very funny.

“Bob Turner [Matsuyama’s interpreter] came up and said he’s serious, he wants to know what you like about his putting. I’m thinking, boy, this is a bad situation to be in right here. How can I dare say anything?”

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It made for some nervous viewing for Faxon, who watched as Matsuyama almost blew the tournament, sinking his advantage over a disastrous four-hole stretch.

“I was on edge, yesterday,” Faxon added. “Particularly on the back nine.”

It turns out even the best need a bit of help now and again and, thankfully for Faxon, the Masters champion fought back.

Matsuyama made a 26-foot birdie putt on 17 before converting a five-foot look on the final hole.