PGA TOUR
Matsuyama Produces Clutch Finish To Win Opening FedExCup Playoffs Title
Hideki Matsuyama finished in a blaze of glory to capture the FedEx St Jude Championship at TPC Southwind, Tennessee. It was the opening FedExCup Playoffs event en route to the PGA TOUR’s season-ending TOUR Championship in a fortnight. The 32-year-old from Japan fired stunning back-to back birdies at the closing two holes to score an impressive two-shot victory over America’s Xander Schauffele and Norway’s Viktor Hovland.
Matsuyama, who won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympic Games, took a healthy five-shot lead into the final round courtesy of rounds of 65, 64 and 64. The 2021 Masters champion maintained his wide margin with a bogey-free effort that included two birdies through the opening 11 holes. Then, the normally unflappable Japanese start unravelled posting bogeys at the 12th and 14th holes before carding a double-bogey at the 15th hole. The four-hole 4-over stretch left Matsuyama in a tie for the lead with Hovland and Schauffele at 15-under. Matsuyama rallied. He settled his scorecard with a par at the 16th hole before taking out the event with birdies at the 17th and 18th holes. At the par 4, 17th hole, Matsuyama buried a 26 foot putt for a three. At the 72nd hole, Japan’s greatest male player knocked his approach into the green from 157 yards to just inside six feet of the cup. His birdie at the final hole double his margin of victory to two shots. Matsuyama signed for an even par 70 final round to reach 17-under. It was his second win on the PGA TOUR this season after claiming the Genesis Invitational in February. Matsuyama now owns 10 PGA TOUR career titles.
Schaufelle and Hovland settled in a share of second place at 15-under. Schauffele fired the equal low round on Sunday with a bogey-free 7-under 63. Hovland produced a 4-under 66.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler birdied the final hole for a 4-under 66 to move him to solo fourth place at 14-under. Fellow Americans Sam Burns (67) and Nick Dunlap (69) finished in a tie for fifth place at 13-under.
Scheffler holds a massive points lead in the FedExCup standings. Schauffele is ranked second with Matsuyama in third place.
Adam Scott led the four Australians who remained in the FedExCup Playoffs for this week in Memphis. The 44-year-old tour veteran carded a 3-under 67 on Sunday to finish in a tie for 18th place. Min Woo Lee (66) and Jason Day (70) finished one-shot further back at 6-under and in a tie for 22nd place. Cam Davis signed for a 3-under 67 for a tie in 40th place. Day, Scott and Davis with projected FedExCup rankings of 25, 41, and 49 respectively are placed inside the top 50 who will make it through to next’s BMW Championship. Lee’s PGA TOUR season has ended ranked in 60th place.
The PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs move to Colorado for next week’s BMW Championship to be staged at Castle Pines Golf Club. Norway’s Viktor Holland is the defending champion.
Final Scores
1. Hideki Matsuyama -17
T2. Xander Schauffele -15
T2. Viktor Hovland -15
4. Scottie Scheffler -14
T5. Nick Dunlap -13
T5. Sam Burns -13
T7. Wyndham Clark -12
T7. Robert MacIntyre -12
Australians
T18. Adam Scott -7
T22. Min Woo Lee -6
T22. Jason Day -6
T40. Cam Davis -3
