Japanese golfing ace Hideki Matsuyama has apologised for his actions in slamming his putter into the 13th green during Friday’s second round of the WGC – Cadillac Championship.

Matsuyama incurred the wrath of England’s Ian Poulter who was playing in the group behind Matsuyama.

Poulter then took to Twitter and labeled the 22-year-old Matsuyma an “idiot”, saying he had “left a crater in the green for others to putt over.”

Hideki Matsyuma center of a media scrum following his actions a day earlier in the WGC – Cadillac Championship. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

Strangely, Poulter found himself paired with Matsuyama for today’s third round after both had ended round two of the $US 9m event at five over par.

And one of the first things Matsuyama did was to seek out Poulter and apologise to him along with South African Charl Schwartzel and American Jason Dufner who were in the group behind Matsuyama’s on Friday.

“I only heard about what Ian said this morning and I felt really bad,” said Matsuyama through an interpreter after a third round of 71 to get back to four over par.

“All I can do was apologise for what happened.

“I never realised I had damaged the green that badly.  I did hit the green with my putter but I did not realise how bad. But the group behind did and that’s what counts.”

Matsuyama was asked if he felt Poulter should have approached him rather than put his comments on Twitter.

He said:  “If Ian felt he had to say what he said, then all I can do is apologise.  I just feel  badly that it happened. I feel badly Ian had to even write about that and something I may have done.

“It was a frustrating day yesterday for everyone and I was just frustrated more with myself at how poorly I was playing.

“However it was just normal golf today and Ian and I just did what we had to do.”

He was also asked about seeking out Schwartzel and Dufner.

“I felt a responsibility this morning to find them out this morning and apologise to them directly,” said the Japanese golfer and current World No. 22.

“They were in the same threesome as Ian.  It didn’t affect my preparation but it was something I felt I had to do and that was to apologise to them directly.

“My feeling is that if I could apologise to the entire field I would but those were the three I spoke to them personally.

“Hopefully I learned to be more patient especially in difficult conditions as we had on the course yesterday, and in the future just to try and be a good professional.”

But after going onto to Twitter to slam Matsuyama the current World No. 18 was a lot more subdued after his third round commenting:  “We all make mistakes.  He said ‘sorry’ to me this morning but while he apologised to me, it has nothing to do with me.

“It was in Charl’s line, not mine.”