LOS ANGELES — The dialog started seven years in the past when Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama gained his fourth PGA Tour title to cross Shigeki Maruyama, his mentor. Maruyama instructed him the final word mark was 9 tour wins, a document for many by an Asian-born participant.
Matsuyama had little motive to consider that will come Sunday at Riviera.
Six photographs behind to start out the ultimate spherical of the Genesis Invitational, Matsuyama delivered a document efficiency — 9-under 62, the bottom closing spherical by a winner at Riviera — to attain the document that actually mattered.
He now has 9 PGA Tour wins, one higher than Okay.J. Choi of South Korea.
“Reaching 9 wins was one in every of my large targets, passing Okay.J. Choi,” Matsuyama stated after his 3-shot victory. “After my eighth win, I have been combating my again damage. There have been loads of occasions the place I felt I used to be by no means going to win once more. I struggled reaching to prime 10, however I am actually pleased that I used to be in a position to win as we speak.”
This was an beautiful efficiency, second solely to his 61 within the ultimate spherical at Firestone in 2017 on a day nobody else shot decrease than 65.
Matsuyama was a part of a five-way tie for the lead on the again 9 till he hit a ravishing fade with a 6-iron from 187 yards right into a breeze on the powerful fifteenth gap that carried the bunker and rolled out to eight inches for a tap-in birdie.
“Good shot,” he stated.
On the par-3 sixteenth, he dangled the membership after his tee shot as a result of it was 5 yards proper of the place he had been aiming, solely to see it roll to six inches from the cup for one more birdie. He added a 3rd straight birdie with a chip down the slope on the par-5 seventeenth to simply over 3 toes.
Matsuyama flippantly pumped a fist — a uncommon present of emotion for him — when his 4-foot par putt with a pointy right-to-left break dropped in for a 62.
Doug Tewell shot 63 within the ultimate spherical to win in 1986, the earlier document. Matsuyama’s 62 was 1 off the course document of 61 set by Ted Tryba in 1999.
The one downer for Matsuyama was not with the ability to pose with Tiger Woods, the match host who needed to withdraw Friday with a foul case of the flu.
“To win on this match was one in every of my targets ever since I grew to become professional,” Matsuyama stated. “After Tiger grew to become the host, that objective grew to become so much greater. A little bit dissatisfied that I wasn’t in a position to take an image with Tiger as we speak.”
Nonetheless, Woods let Matsuyama know he was watching.
“Congratulations to @hidekiofficial_ on an unbelievable win at @thegenesisinv,” Woods wrote on social media. “I used to be watching all day and seeing a document breaking 62 and coming from six photographs again is really particular.”
Congratulations to @hidekiofficial_ on an unbelievable win at @thegenesisinv. I used to be watching all day and seeing a document breaking 62 and coming from six photographs again is really particular.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 19, 2024
Matsuyama entered the week and not using a top-10 end in 20 straight begins, the longest top-10 drought of his PGA Tour profession. Matsuyama was 80-1 to win getting into the week, based on ESPN BET odds, and 125-1 getting into the ultimate spherical.
Matsuyama completed at 17-under 267 for a 3-shot victory over Will Zalatoris (69) and Luke Record (68). Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, greatest buddies taking part in within the ultimate group, light in the midst of the again 9 and tied for fourth.
“As soon as I noticed Hideki ending at 17 below, it was a little bit of a deflater, I am certain for the remainder of the sector,” Schauffele stated. “However hats off to him. It is unbelievable. He is executed it a number of occasions now, capturing lights out on Sunday.”
It was the third time Matsuyama shot 63 or decrease on Sunday to win, most not too long ago on the Sony Open two years in the past. Maruyama despatched him a textual content that day in Hawaii, reminding him of their discuss breaking Choi’s document.
Matsuyama stated profitable by no means entered his thoughts when he arrived on the course Sunday. Cantlay had a 2-shot lead and had not taken too many flawed steps. However he was feeling a bit unwell, and the golf was a battle.
Cantlay hit solely 4 fairways and 9 greens. He missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the straightforward opening par 5 after which did not have one other take a look at birdie till the sixth gap. He made a birdie putt from 50 toes on the 18th for a 72.
Cantlay performed with Schauffele, who struggled simply as a lot. Schauffele received again within the combine with a tricky birdie on the par-4 tenth and holing a bunker shot for eagle on the par-5 eleventh. He bogeyed the subsequent three holes and rallied on the finish for a 70.
Record set the early tempo. Zalatoris took the lead in the midst of the again 9. At one level there was a five-way tie for the lead heading to the powerful stretch on the again 9 at Riviera.
After which Matsuyama took over with three straight birdies.
“The second shot on 15 was most likely one of the best shot I had,” he stated by way of his interpreter.
Matsuyama had struggled the final two years, beginning with a neck and again damage at Bay Hill in March 2022. He had solely six top-10s worldwide throughout that stretch and fell out of the highest 50 on the earth.
“Ever since that damage, I used to be apprehensive each week one thing unhealthy may occur,” Matsuyama stated. “This week I had no situation. I performed with none worries. That basically helped.”
The win was value $4 million from the $20 million purse and strikes him to No. 20 on the earth with the whole main season forward of him. Matsuyama now has 18 wins worldwide, eight on the Japan Golf Tour and the unofficial Hero World Problem, additionally hosted by Woods. At the least he has an image from that day.
ESPN Stats & Info and The Related Press contributed to this report.
#Hideki #Matsuyama #closes #win #Genesis #Invitational