Hideki Matsuyama’s Masters win set to boost home interest in golf at Olympics

• Masters champion could light cauldron at Tokyo Games
• Golf's return to Olympics hit by withdrawals at Rio 2016

Golf's rocky relationship with the Olympic Games hardly looked like improving when Dustin Johnson, the world No 1, confirmed he would skip the chance to participate in Tokyo. Johnson was, in fact, pretty dismissive over the very concept. The sport's return to the Olympics in 2016 was overshadowed by a host of high-profile withdrawals, with nervousness within the International Golf Federation regarding the 2021 version wholly understandable as Johnson opted out.

Enter Hideki Matsuyama. Historic Masters glory for the 29-year-old Japanese player on Sunday has added a fresh, positive dynamic to golf and the Tokyo Games. Nick Faldo, the six-times major champion, has already speculated that Matsuyama might be selected to light the Olympic cauldron in July.