Japan sucked in its breath as Hideki Matsuyama almost blew his chance to win the Masters but the golfer’s one-shot victory at Augusta National sparked a joyous reaction back home as the country celebrated another sporting triumph in testing times.Matsuyama, 29, became the first man from Japan to win one …

But as often happens on a Masters Sunday, odd, unforeseen things ensued.At the par-5 15th hole, Matsuyama sized up a second shot in the fairway that was 227 yards from the flagstick. He said he “flushed” a 4-iron but his golf ball rocketed off the green and scooted into the …

AUGUSTA, Ga. — As an undergraduate at Wake Forest, Will Zalatoris received an invitation familiar to members of the golf team: Come play at Augusta National Golf Club. When he did in 2017, he recalled recently, he stood on the bridge straddling Rae’s Creek and gazed around Amen Corner.He has …