Maruyama - the smiling assassin

Japan's Shigeki Maruyama has a simple solution when conversations in English stray beyond familiar territory like basic golf terms and cheeseburgers: "Otherwise, I just smile a lot."

Maruyama has plenty of other reasons to smile this week at the Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship, having eliminated Steve Stricker and Justin Leonard in the first two rounds.

He was greeted with the nickname "Mr. Match Play" when he came into the locker room after Thursday's win, but Maruyama denied it with his ever-present smile: "No, Mr. Lucky."

It was not luck that led to Leonard's defeat, though. Maruyama did not miss a fairway on Thursday and was 6 under par for 16 holes, the best score by far of the day.

The 1997 Japan Match Play champion has been unbeatable in match play over the past two months. He was the only player on either side of the Presidents Cup to be undefeated, going 5-0 in the team matches in Australia and beating players like Tiger Woods, David Duval, Phil Mickelson and Fred Couples.

His goal is to be the greatest Japanese golfer ever, and to do that he has to win in America. No other male Japanese player has ever won on the U.S. mainland, though Isao Aoki did win the 1983 Hawaiian Open.

Although his mentor Jumbo Ozaki has generally stayed away from America, Maruyama loves playing over here.

His sporting hero is Michael Jordan -- he has Jordan's jersey number 23 on his golf bag -- and two years ago made the pilgrimage to the Michael Jordan store in Chicago.

"That was one of the happiest times I have ever had. I bought shoes and clothing and I ate a cheeseburger there, and it was delicious," said Maruyama.

His main golf hero is Tom Watson, who was eliminated here on Wednesday by Bob Tway, because the 11-year-old Maruyama decided on his career path while watching Watson win the 1981 Masters. "He looked so happy walking up to the 18th green, and I knew that someday I wanted to be just that happy."

It is partly because of the imprint Watson made on him that Maruyama is so eager to win in America. "It would mean a lot to me and my self-esteem to win here. In Japan, more Japanese people are interested in baseball than in golf, so unless I win here, in the big time, it is not going to mean as much back home."

Asked about the prospect of winning his next four matches and thus winning the championship and its $1 million first prize, Maruyama started laughing and said: "I am not going to be surprised if it happens, but I will then buy a house here before I leave.