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(ABC-Australia) Hideki Matsuyama won his first PGA Tour play-off to take the St. Jude Championship by two shots.
Matsuyama lost the lead on the back nine and lost a five-shot lead.
What’s next?
The second PGA Tour playoff will be held next week at Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado.
abc.net.au/news/hideki-matsuyama-wins-pga-tour-playoffs-st-jude-championship/104241234
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Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama overcame a shaky back-nine performance to shoot an even-par 70 on Sunday at the St. Jude Championship and win the first event of the PGA Tour’s season-ending playoffs at TPC Southwind.
Matsuyama finished at 17-under 263, two shots ahead of world No. 2 Xander Schauffele (63) and defending tour champion Viktor Hovland of Norway (66). Matsuyama clinched the win with consecutive birdies on the 17th and 18th holes.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (66) finished alone in fourth place at 14-under 266.
Hideki Matsuyama, the Paris Olympic bronze medalist, entered Sunday with a five-shot lead, the largest 54-hole lead of his career, but he faltered down the stretch. After playing the first 11 holes in 2 under, he began to unravel. From holes 12 through 15, he went through a bogey-par-bogey-double-bogey stretch that allowed Schauffele and Hovland to briefly pass him.
But Matsuyama got back on track with 26-foot and 6-foot putts on the 17th and 18th holes, the toughest hole on the course.
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Hovland made back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th holes to finish at 16 under, ahead of Hideki Matsuyama, who led by five shots at the turn.
Schauffele, who started the round at 8 under, nine shots behind Matsuyama, attacked with a bogey-free round and nearly chipped into the green on the 18th, making it tougher for Matsuyama on the final hole. Schauffele chipped in from 75 feet and hit the pin.
Matsuyama won his 10th PGA Tour title of his career after he lost his caddie and coach in a pre-tournament robbery in London. Their passports were also lost in the robbery and they had to return to Japan. Matsuyama was forced to use a replacement caddie.
Adam Scott was the highest of the four Australian players, tied for 18th.
Lee Min-woo and Jason Day tied for 22nd place, and Cam Davis tied for 40th place.
The first event of the season-ending playoffs features the top 70 players in the PGA Tour standings. The top 50 players will advance to the next round, which will be held at Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado.
Scott, Day and Davis all finished in the top 50, while Min-woo Lee failed to make the cut despite a strong week.
The Tour Championship will be held in a week at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
The top 50 players on Sunday will not only advance to Colorado, but will also play in eight PGA Tour signature events in 2025.
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