KAPALUA, Hawaii — Hideki Matsuyama kicked off the new season with a record-setting performance, but it was hard to tell from his emotion. He was a machine at the Sentinel Course, making birdie or better on 35 holes to finish at 35 under, both PGA Tour records.
He smiled broadly when his caddy, Shota Sato, spoke to him on the greenside of the 18th hole at Kapalua on Sunday. Defeated Collin Morikawa by three strokes.
“Otoshitama arigato gozaimasu”.
It roughly translates as a traditional Japanese gift of thanks for giving to children in the New Year, wishing them good luck and prosperity. Matsuyama won his 11th career victory and earned $3.6 million.
There was little luck during the four days at the Plantation Course, as there was almost no designed wind and the course was as fragile as ever. Matsuyama had just one bogey in the final 59 holes, finishing at 257, 35 under.
Matsuyama, who held a one-shot lead heading into the final round, made an eagle from 107 yards on the third hole, extending the lead when Morikawa three-putted three in a row, one for par and the other for bogey. , and answered a late challenge to 4 feet with another wedge.
He finished with an 8-under 65 and started the season in a way Matsuyama could never have imagined.
The 32-year-old Japanese star only trained a few days before the season opener because he was not feeling well and recently developed a mouth ulcer. On a whim, he decided to switch to a bottom bracket putter he received a few days after Christmas.
“This is my first time using a putter here,” Matsuyama said through a translator. When asked why this putting style works so well for him, he added, “I'm not sure, but it does go in.”
The last item is for the record books. Matsuyama isn't entirely sure that 34-under is the 72-hole record. The championship is already in the bag.
“That last putt, it felt like if I made it, it would be a record,” he said. “So I'm glad it's going in.”
He held out his arms, giving a slight wave as the first arm fell. His 1-under 35 broke the record set by Cameron Smith at Kapalua in 2022. The record set last year was tied by Im Sungjae at Kapalua.
“He was playing shot-for-shot with me yesterday,” Morikawa said, alluding to the fact that both men shot 62s in the third round that set them apart in the field.
“He never let up today,” Morikawa said. “Then you get to the third hole and the guy goes in. I just knew I had to take control and just missed a few on the front nine. Played the back nine well, but to win a course like this, Conditions you must spend 72 [holes]. I bought it for $65.
Morikawa finished with a 67 and finished three shots behind at 32-under 260.
Matsuyama has three PGA Tour wins in the past 10 months, all of which came against strong teams — Riviera last February and the first FedEx Cup Playoffs game in August. His world ranking rose to fifth.
Matsuyama holed out a 107-yard bunker wedge on the third hole. The ball landed in front of the pin and disappeared into the Eagle Cup after a hop, starting to build some distance.
When Matsuyama saw the crowd cheering behind the elevated green, his eyes widened, his lips pursed, and he fist-bumped with his caddy. That's it. It was a methodical game and a methodical week.
Determined to give it his all, Morikawa stayed within two shots until Matsuyama hit a brilliant chip shot from behind the green to the fifth hole, where he three-putted for par. Morikawa then three-putted again from 60 feet, this time for bogey on the sixth hole.
That left him four shots behind, but he did well to stay in the game until the final few holes. Morikawa birdied the 14th and 15th holes — Matsuyama missed birdie opportunities at 6 and 10 feet — to get within two shots with three strokes remaining.
Matsuyama birdied a 4-foot wedge on the 16th hole, effectively ending the match.
The Sentinel Tournament is a signature event with a prize of up to US$20 million, and Matsuyama's US$3.6 million bonus brought his career earnings to more than US$60 million.
I ended up finishing third with a score of 65, worth $1.36 million.
Matsuyama is the seventh player to win two Hawaiian championships on the PGA Tour schedule. Justin Thomas (2017) and Ernie Els (2003) are the only two players to win both titles in the same year. Matsuyama will have a chance to join them next week at the Sony Open in Oahu, where he won three years ago.
Taylor Pendrith hit one of the most unlikely shots of the tournament, holing a 6-iron from 200 yards on the par-5 fifth hole for the first time since the 1999 season opener. The first albatross on the Plantation course since the move to Kapalua.
“When I hit it, I knew it was going to be really good,” Pendrith said. “Didn't expect it to go in. Didn't see it go in. But the fans around the green were going crazy, so, yeah, it's a really nice bonus.”
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