Hideki Matsuyama hits a shot on Sunday on the 4th hole on the Plantation Course at Kapalua.
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Hideki Matsuyama, after ripping apart the Plantation Course at Kapalua through three rounds, was asked by a reporter what he felt was the best part of his game, and he murmured to the translator standing to his left. He’d said he wasn’t sure. Modest, as always. He wasn’t going to tout.
Then again, he also might’ve just had a hard time picking.
On the tee? Check. Away from the tee? Check. Around the green? Check. On the green? Check. Consistency? Over 54 holes, yes, but Sunday, during the final round of the Sentry event, the PGA Tour’s season-opener, would settle that.
Check. One through 18, it was more of the same, masterfully so. And historically so. Matsuyama peeled off seven birdies and one eagle for a round of eight-under 65 and a tournament total of 35-under, giving him a three-shot win over Collin Morikawa and a PGA Tour record, by one, for the lowest 72-hole score in relation to par. It also marked his 11th career Tour win.
Sunday, like Thursday, Friday and Saturday, showcased Matsuyama’s bag-wide expertise again. What did you feel was the best part? The birdies on 5, 8, 9, 11 and 12? Those were good. The circles on 8, 11 and 12 all came on putts 20 feet or longer. Or did you like the hole-out on 5 more? It came from 107 yards out, and Matsuyama ooh’ed on that one.
Or did you prefer the action on 16? There, he was feeling the heat. There, he essentially won the tournament. After Morikawa had pulled within two shots on 15, Matsuyama blasted a drive down the right side of the fairway, dropped a wedge to 4 feet and birdied, restoring a three-shot advantage. From there, he parred 17 and birdied 18 for the record.
At the end, he fist-pumped.
You’d seemingly get no argument from even him that that was the best part of his week.
The takeaway
Matsuyama looks dialed in. A year of him and Scottie Scheffler playing darts would be fun, wouldn’t it?
The leaderboard breakdown
— Hideki Matsuyama starts the final round with a one-shot lead. Matsuyama is at 27-under, Collin Morikawa is at 26-under, Thomas Detry is at 22-under, and Sungjae Im is at 21-under.
— Matsuyama eagles the 417-yard, par-4 2nd by holing out from 107 yards out, and his lead grows to two. Matsuyama is at 29-under, Morikawa is at 27-under, and Im is at 22-under.
— Matsuyama birdies the 520-yard, par-5 5th after hitting his third shot to 14 inches, and his lead grows to three. Matsuyama is at 30-under, Morikawa is at 27-under, and Im is at 23-under.
— Morikawa bogeys the 418-yard, par-4 6th after three-putting from 56 feet, and Matsuyama’s lead increases to four. Matsuyama is at 30-under, Morikawa is at 26-under, and Im is at 23-under.
— Matsuyama bogeys the 532-yard, par-4 7th after missing the green with his second shot, and Matsuyama’s lead drops back to three. Matsuyama is at 29-under, Morikawa is at 26-under, and Im is at 23-under.
— Matsuyama and Morikawa each birdie the 185-yard, par-3 8th — Matsuyama on a 20-foot putt, and Morikawa on a 14-footer — and Matsuyama’s lead stays at three strokes. Matsuyama is at 30-under, Morikawa is at 27-under, and Im is at 23-under.
— Matsuyama birdies the 545-yard, par-5 9th on an 8-footer, and his lead grows to four. Matsuyama is at 31-under, Morikawa is at 27-under, and Im is at 25-under.
— Morikawa birdies the 377-yard, par-4 10th on a 10-footer, and he pulls within three of the lead. Matsuyama is at 31-under, Morikawa is at 28-under, and Im is at 25-under.
— Matsuyama and Morikawa each birdie the 167-yard, par-3 11th — Matsuyama on a 30-footer, and Morikawa on an 11-footer — and Matsuyama’s lead stays at three. Matsuyama is at 32-under, Morikawa is at 29-under, and Im is at 25-under.
— Matsuyama birdies the 429-yard, par-4 12th on a 21-footer, and his lead grows to four. Matsuyama is at 33-under, Morikawa is at 29-under, and Im is at 25-under.
— Morikawa birdies the 297-yard, par-4 14th on a 6-footer, and he pulls within three. Matsuyama is at 33-under, and Morikawa is at 30-under.
— Morikawa birdies the 551-yard, par-5 15th after getting home in two, and he pulls within two. Matsuyama is at 33-under, and Morikawa is at 31-under.
— Matsuyama, under pressure, birdies the 363-yard, par-4 16th with a tee shot down the right side of the fairway and a wedge to 4 feet, and his lead goes back to three. Matsuyama is at 34-under, and Morikawa is at 31-under.
— On the 678-yard, par-5 18th, Matsuyama hits his tee shot down the left side of the fairway, hits his second shot just to the right of the green, pitches on to 8 feet and drops the putt for a closing birdie. He shoots an eight-under 65 and finishes at 35-under, the lowest 72-hole score in relation to par. Finishing runner-up, at 32-under, was Morikawa, and Im was third, at 29-under.
The final word
“That last putt, I felt like if I make it, then it’s going to be the record, and so I’m so happy it went in.” — Matsuyama, through his translator, on Golf Channel after his round
Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his role, he is responsible for editing, writing and developing stories across the golf space. And when he’s not writing about ways to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native is probably playing the game, hitting the ball left, right and short, and drinking a cold beer to wash away his score. You can reach out to him about any of these topics — his stories, his game or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com.
