Hideki Matsuyama bookends year with dominant victories, wins Tiger’s Hero event in a playoff

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[Photo: Jared C. Tilton]

Hideki Matsuyama, who began the year with a torrid display of scoring at the Sentry tournament in January, completed the bookend to his season in style today with a playoff victory over Alex Noren at the Hero World Challenge in Nassau, Bahamas.

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Island golf apparently appeals to the Japanese pro, who fired a closing eight-under 64 at Albany Golf Club and then birdied the first extra hole after Noren birdied three of his last four holes for his own 64 to tie his playing partner at 22-under 266.

Ranked 20th in the world, Matsuyama sank a three-footer for birdie on the par-4 18th, the first sudden-death hole, to capture the $US1 million first prize and add a second Hero win to his 2016 title.

At the Sentry event in January in Kapalua, Maui, Matsuyama set the PGA Tour scoring record in relation to par at 35-under.

Tournament host Tiger Woods chided Matsuyama to go out and shoot 10-under, and Matsuyama almost got there. He was eight-under-par through 13 holes but made all pars coming in to leave the door open for Noren. Matsuyama’s birdie in the playoff left him nine-under for 19 holes for the afternoon.

“I didn’t shoot 10-under, but I am very happy to win this week,” Matsuyama, 33, said through an interpreter after rallying from three behind Sepp Straka to begin the day.

Straka, a two-time winner this year on the PGA Tour, began the day with a one-stroke lead over two-time defending champion Scottie Scheffler, and at one point led by three shots. Matsuyama caught Straka when he holed out for eagle from 106 metres at the par-4 10th hole.

The Austrian birdied the 18th to shoot 68 and finish alone in third at 267.

Scheffler, vying for an unprecedented third straight win in the 20-man event, endured an “unbelievable” day. That was the word that he mumbled on the way to chopping up the par-5 11th hole with a bogey that blunted his chances to win and sent him to a new career low. Seriously, it was a career low for the Texan in the Bahamas, where he had finished runner-up twice in addition to his two victories.

Winner of two majors and six tour titles overall this season, Scheffler closed with a 68 to end up at 20-under 268, tied for fourth with US Open champion J.J. Spaun, who had a 65.

“I played better than my score, for sure,” said Scheffler, who thought he could have been sharper around the greens. “Didn’t hole as many putts today. I felt like I hit some good ones that didn’t fall, and I got a couple poor breaks on the back nine. Yeah, that’s how it shook out.”

Noren, ranked 17th in the world, saw only positives after earning an invitation via sponsor exemption. “I’m really proud of myself,” said the Swede, 43, who idolised Woods growing up. “I had to work pretty hard this tournament to get all the shots you need in the short game, putting, hitting. I know maybe low scoring right now, but you’ve got to hit the shots out there.”

Matsuyama, who didn’t have another top-10 finish on the PGA Tour after his win in Hawaii, was the one who hit the shot to seal the win, sticking his 9-iron approach from “a perfect distance” – 152 metres – and converting the short birdie after Noren missed his birdie try from 25 feet.

Disappointed that he won’t be able to defend his Sentry title in January due to drought conditions forcing the closure of the Plantation course at Kapalua Resort, Matsuyama acknowledged his struggles after his season-opening win and his rejuvenation in the Bahamas 11 months later.

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Photo: Ben Jared

“It was very tough season for me,” Matsuyama said. “Swing coach in Japan, every night talking, and I just did things and able to play great [this week].

“So Tiger is my idol,” added Matsuyama, making his first appearance in the Hero since 2018. “A couple of years ago in L.A… nine years ago [was] the first time [I was] able to take picture with Tiger, and I want to take picture with Tiger more. That’s why I play well in Tiger’s event.”

Inspiration, and island golf, seemed to do the trick.