Hideki Matsuyama’s putter was his best club all week, but his epic 3-wood in a playoff was the best swing he took.
Battling Russell Henley in the first playoff hole of the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club on Sunday, Henley drove his tee shot into a bunker and had to lay up on the par-5 18th. Matsuyama, from the fairway, had the green light.
From 277 yards away, Matsuyama took a mighty swing and launched a high fade into the sky, landing it on the green like a feather and having it roll to just a couple of feet away. Matsuyama himself didn’t even see the shot, as he turned and looked toward his caddie shortly after he hit when he lost it in the setting sun.
Henley missed the green with his approach and Matsuyama had an easy eagle tap-in to win. This all, mind you, came after Matsuyama started the back nine five shots off the lead. His 3-wood, as you’d imagine, ignited social media. Major champ Sophia Popov even tweeted that it was “the best 3-wood I think I’ve ever seen.”
It’s the eighth PGA Tour victory for Matsuyama, who heads to Augusta National in less than three months to defend his Masters title.
Josh Berhow
Golf.com Editor
As GOLF.com’s managing editor, Berhow handles the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of the sport’s most-read news and service websites. He spends most of his days writing, editing, planning and wondering if he’ll ever break 80. Before joining GOLF.com in 2015, he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., he resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and two kids. You can reach him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.
