LOS ANGELES — The dialog started seven years in the past when Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama received his fourth PGA Tour title to move Shigeki Maruyama, his mentor. Maruyama informed him the final word mark was 9 tour wins, a file for many by an Asian-born participant.
Matsuyama had little motive to consider that will come Sunday at Riviera.
Six photographs behind to begin the ultimate spherical of the Genesis Invitational, Matsuyama delivered a file efficiency — 9-under 62, the bottom closing spherical by a winner at Riviera — to attain the file that basically mattered.
He now has 9 PGA Tour wins, one higher than Okay.J. Choi of South Korea.
“Reaching 9 wins was certainly one of my massive targets, passing Okay.J. Choi,” Matsuyama stated after his 3-shot victory. “After my eighth win, I have been battling my again harm. There have been numerous instances 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 joyful that I used to be capable of win at present.”
This was an beautiful efficiency, second solely to his 61 within the closing 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 an attractive fade with a 6-iron from 187 yards right into a breeze on the robust 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 only over 3 toes.
Matsuyama evenly 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 closing spherical to win in 1986, the earlier file. Matsuyama’s 62 was 1 off the course file 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 nasty case of the flu.
“To win on this match was certainly one of my targets ever since I turned professional,” Matsuyama stated. “After Tiger turned the host, that aim turned loads greater. Just a little upset that I wasn’t capable of take an image with Tiger at present.”
Nonetheless, Woods let Matsuyama know he was watching.
“Congratulations to @hidekiofficial_ on an unimaginable win at @thegenesisinv,” Woods wrote on social media. “I used to be watching all day and seeing a file breaking 62 and coming from six photographs again is actually particular.”
Congratulations to @hidekiofficial_ on an unimaginable win at @thegenesisinv. I used to be watching all day and seeing a file breaking 62 and coming from six photographs again is actually particular.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 19, 2024
Matsuyama entered the week with no 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, in accordance with 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 Listing (68). Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, finest buddies taking part in within the closing group, pale in the midst of the again 9 and tied for fourth.
“As soon as I noticed Hideki ending at 17 underneath, it was a little bit of a deflater, I am positive for the remainder of the sphere,” Schauffele stated. “However hats off to him. It is unimaginable. He is accomplished it a couple of instances now, capturing lights out on Sunday.”
It was the third time Matsuyama shot 63 or decrease on Sunday to win, most just lately on the Sony Open two years in the past. Maruyama despatched him a textual content that day in Hawaii, reminding him of their speak about breaking Choi’s file.
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 unsuitable steps. However he was feeling somewhat unwell, and the golf was a wrestle.
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 have a look at birdie till the sixth gap. He made a birdie putt from 50 toes on the 18th for a 72.
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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.
Listing 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 robust 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 via his interpreter.
Matsuyama had struggled the final two years, beginning with a neck and again harm at Bay Hill in March 2022. He had solely six top-10s worldwide throughout that stretch and fell out of the highest 50 on this planet.
“Ever since that harm, I used to be nervous each week one thing unhealthy may occur,” Matsuyama stated. “This week I had no subject. I performed with none worries. That actually helped.”
The win was price $4 million from the $20 million purse and strikes him to No. 20 on this planet with the complete 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. Not less than he has an image from that day.
ESPN Stats & Info and The Related Press contributed to this report.
