KAPALUA, Hawaii — Hideki Matsuyama opened the brand new season with a report efficiency, although it was onerous to inform from his feelings. He was a machine on the Sentry, with 35 holes at birdie or higher to complete at 35-under par, each PGA Tour data.
He broke into a large smile solely when his caddie, Shota Hayafuji, spoke to him on the facet of the 18th inexperienced Sunday at Kapalua after one closing birdie gave Matsuyama the scoring data and a three-shot victory over Collin Morikawa.
“Otoshidama arigato gozaimasu.”
It interprets roughly to thanks for a standard Japanese reward to youngsters within the new 12 months to want them luck and prosperity. Matsuyama received $3.6 million from his eleventh profession victory.
There was little luck concerned over 4 days on a Plantation course that was weak as ever with out hardly any of the wind for which it was designed. Matsuyama made just one bogey over the ultimate 59 holes to complete at 35-under 257.
Staked to a one-shot lead going into the ultimate spherical, Matsuyama holed out from 107 yards for eagle on the third gap, expanded the lead when Morikawa had consecutive three-putts — one for par, one other for bogey — and answered a late problem with one other wedge to 4 ft.
He closed with an 8-under 65 and began the brand new season in methods Matsuyama wouldn’t have imagined.
The 32-year-old Japanese star had just a few days of apply main into the season opener as a result of he was not feeling properly, most lately with sores in his mouth. He selected a whim to modify to a extra center-shafted putter he acquired a couple of days after Christmas.
“I used the putter for the primary right here,” Matsuyama stated by way of his interpreter. Requested why that fashion of putter labored so properly for him, he added, “I am unsure, but it surely went in.”
The final one was for the report ebook. Matsuyama wasn’t solely positive that 34 beneath had been the report for 72 holes. The event already was within the bag.
“That final putt, it felt like if I make it, then it should be the report,” he stated. “So I am so comfortable that it went in.”
He prolonged his arm and calmly pumped his first when it fell. His 35 beneath broke by one the report to par Cameron Smith set at Kapalua in 2022. It additionally was his thirty fifth gap of birdie or higher, breaking the report set by Smith in 2022 and matched by Sungjae Im at Kapalua final 12 months.
“He was matching me yesterday shot for shot,” stated Morikawa, alluding to each posting a 62 within the third spherical that set them other than the sphere.
“Right this moment he simply by no means let up,” Morikawa stated. “Then you definitely get to the third gap and the man holes it. I simply knew I needed to be on high of every little thing, and simply sort of let a couple of slip on that entrance 9. Performed a very good again 9, however to win on a course like this, situations like this, you have to have it for 72 [holes]. And I had it for 65.”
Morikawa closed with a 67 to complete three behind at 32-under 260.
Matsuyama has three PGA Tour victories up to now 10 months, all of them towards robust fields — Riviera final February and the primary FedEx Cup playoff occasion in August. He strikes to No. 5 on this planet rating.
Matsuyama started to construct some separation when he holed a sand wedge from 107 yards on the third gap, the ball touchdown in entrance of the pin, taking one hop and disappearing within the cup for eagle.
Matsuyama noticed the gang cheer from behind the elevated inexperienced, widened his eyes and pursed his lips and tapped fists along with his caddie. And that was that. It was a methodical recreation, a methodical week.
Morikawa, decided to present it his finest shot, stayed inside two till he had a three-putt par on the fifth gap after Matsuyama hit an excellent chip from behind the inexperienced to tap-in vary. Then, Morikawa had one other three-putt from 60 ft, this one for bogey on the sixth.
That put him 4 pictures behind, and he did properly to remain within the recreation till the ultimate few holes. Morikawa birdied the 14th and fifteenth holes — Matsuyama missed birdie probabilities from 6 ft and 10 ft — to shut to inside two pictures with three to play.
Matsuyama successfully ended it with a wedge to 4 ft on the sixteenth for birdie.
The Sentry is a signature occasion with a $20 million purse, and the $3.6 million payoff to Matsuyama put him over $60 million for his profession.
Im closed with a 65 to complete alone in third, price $1.36 million.
Matsuyama is the seventh participant to win each Hawaii tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule. Justin Thomas (2017) and Ernie Els (2003) are the one gamers to win each in the identical 12 months. Matsuyama may have an opportunity to affix them subsequent week within the Sony Open on Oahu, the place he received three years in the past.
Taylor Pendrith delivered essentially the most unlikely shot of the event, holing out his 6-iron from 200 yards on the par-5 fifth for the primary albatross on the Plantation course since this season-opening event moved to Kapalua in 1999.
“As quickly as I hit it, I knew it was going to be actually good,” Pendrith stated. “Did not anticipate it to go in. Did not see it go in. However the followers that have been up by the inexperienced went loopy so, yeah, it was a very good bonus.”
