Hideki Matsuyama, behind a 6-birdie closing nine, storms to Genesis win

Hideki Matsuyama, at no point during this week’s Genesis Invitational, was invited in to speak to the reporter horde at Riviera Country Club. Folks were too interested in that Woods guy. Others, too. There were no questions asked of the stoic, shot-making dynamo, and the 31-year-old from Japan answered none. 

That’s gonna change. 

You’re probably thinking of a few yourself.

Didn’t Matsuyama start six shots back of leader Patrick Cantlay to start Sunday’s final round? 

Yes. 

Did he really begin his day with three-straight birdies?

Yes. 

Did he really make six birdies on the back nine to storm to victory at one of the PGA Tour’s biggest events? Did he really come within a shot of tying the course record at one of the world’s finest golf courses?

Oh yes. In the end, Matsuyama shot a nine-under 62, and he’s your Genesis Invitational winner by three over Luke List and Will Zalatoris. It’s Matsuyama’s ninth PGA Tour win. 

That final nine clinched it. In Hollywood, it was some show:

— Matsuyama birdied the tricky par-4 10th on a 9-foot putt. He birdied the par-5 11th after hitting his second shot to 11 inches. He birdied the par-4 12th on a 46-foot bomb. At this point, he was at 14-under, and he was soon tied for the lead. 

— On the par-4 15th, Matsuyama birdied after hitting his second shot to 8 inches. 

— On the par-3 16th, he hit his tee shot to 6 inches. He was now the leader by one. 

— On the par-5 17th, he was greenside in two shots and birdied. His lead was two, and it grew to three. 

It stayed that way. He did have a bid to shoot a 61 on the 18th, which would have tied Ted Tryba’s course record, but he parred. Notably, it was just one of three pars over his final nine holes. 

And then the questions came. 

The takeaway 

Suddenly, Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters winner, is looking good for this year’s gathering in Augusta. 

The leaderboard breakdown 

— Patrick Cantlay starts the final round with a two-shot lead over Xander Schauffele and Will Zalatoris, and a three-shot lead over Luke List. Cantlay is at 14-under, Schauffele and Zalatoris are at 12-under, and List is at 11-under.  

— List eagles the 509-yard, par-4 1st, and Zalatoris birdies it, and they move to within a shot behind Cantlay. Cantlay is at 14-under, List and Zalatoris are at 13-under, and Schauffele and Harris English are at 12-under. 

— List birdies the 429-yard, par-4 3rd after hitting his second shot to 13 inches, and he moves into a share of the lead with Cantlay. They are 14-under, Zalatoris is at 13-under, and Schauffele and English are at 12-under. 

— List birdies the 409-yard, par-4 5th on an 11-foot putt, and he takes a one-shot lead. He’s at 15-under, Cantlay is at 14-under, and English, Zalatoris, Schauffele and Adam Hadwin are at 12-under. 

— List birdies the 398-yard, par-4 7th after hitting his second shot to 6 feet, and he takes a two-shot lead. He’s at 16-under, Cantlay is at 14-under, Zalatoris is at 13-under, and Hadwin and English are at 12-under. 

— List bogeys the 304-yard, par-4 10th after hitting his tee shot into the right greenside bunker, and his lead drops to one. He’s at 15-under, Cantlay is at 14-under, Hadwin, Zalatoris and Hideki Matsuyama are at 13-under, and English is at 12-under. 

— Over a five-minute span, there is a flurry of movement. On the 476-yard, par-4 12th, Matsuyama birdies on a 46-footer. On the 567-yard, par-5 11th, Zalatoris birdies. On the 10th, Cantlay bogeys after hitting his tee shot into a greenside bunker, and his second shot into another bunker. The leaderboard now reads like this: List leads at 15-under, Matsuyama and Zalatoris are at 14-under, Cantlay is at 13-under, and Hadwin, English and Schauffele are at 12-under. 

— Fireworks. Schauffele eagles the 11th on a hole-out from a greenside bunker, and Cantlay two-putts for birdie. The leaderboard now reads this way: List is at 15-under, Matsuyama, Zalatoris, Cantlay and Schauffele are at 14-under, and Hadwin is at 12-under. 

— List bogeys the 476-yard, par-4 12th, and there is now a five-way tie at the top of the leaderboard. Matsuyama, Zalatoris, List, Cantlay and Schauffele are at 14-under, while Hadwin is at 12-under. 

— Zalatoris birdies the 453-yard, par-4 13th on a 12-footer, and he takes a one-shot lead. He’s at 15-under, Matsuyama, List and Cantlay are at 14-under, and Schauffele is at 13-under (second earlier, he had bogeyed the 12th). 

— Matsuyama birdies the 499-yard, par-4 15th after hitting his second shot to 8 inches, and he moves into a share of the lead. Matsuyama and Zalatoris are at 15-under, List and Cantlay are at 14-under, and Hadwin and Schauffele are at 13-under. 

— Matsuyama birdies the 160-yard, par-3 16th after hitting his tee shot to 6 inches, and he takes a one-shot lead. Matsuyama is at 16-under, Zalatoris is at 15-under, List and Cantlay are at 14-under, and Hadwin and Schauffele are at 13-under. 

— Matsuyama birdies the 590-yard, par-5 17th after hitting just right of the green in two shots, and he leads by two shots. He’s at 17-under, Zalatoris is at 15-under, List is at 14-under, and Hadwin and Cantlay are at 13-under. 

— Zalatoris bogeys the 15th, and Matsuyama’s lead is three. Matsuyama is at 17-under, Zalatoris is at 14-under, and Hadwin, List and Cantlay are at 13-under. 

— Matsuyama pars the 476-yard, par-4 18th, and he shoots a nine-under 62, which is one stroke off the course record. He walks off at 17-under, while Zalatoris is at 14-under and Hadwin and List are at 13-under. The tournament ends with Matsuyama at 17-under, Zalatoris and List at 14-under, and Hadwin, Cantlay and Schauffele at 13-under.

The final word 

“Great playing Hideki! Just make sure you double check that scorecard…” — Jordan Spieth, on Twitter, referring to a moment on Friday, when, yes, he signed for an incorrect scorecard and was disqualified.