Hideki Matsuyama, behind a historic PGA Tour rating, wins Sentry occasion

Hideki Matsuyama, after ripping aside the Plantation Course at Kapalua by three rounds, was requested by a reporter what he felt was the very best a part of his recreation, and he briefly murmured to the translator standing to his left. He’d stated he wasn’t positive. Modest, as at all times. He wasn’t going to tout. 

Then once more, he additionally would possibly’ve simply had a tough time selecting.  

On the tee? Test. Away from the tee? Test. Across the inexperienced? Test. On the inexperienced? Test. Constant? Over 54 holes, sure, however Sunday, through the last spherical of the Sentry occasion, the PGA Tour’s season-opener, would settle that.

Test. One by 18, it was extra of the identical, masterfully so. And traditionally so. Matsuyama peeled off seven birdies and one eagle for a spherical of eight-under 65 and a match whole of 35-under that gave him a three-shot win over Collin Morikawa and a PGA Tour file, by one, for the bottom 72-hole rating in relation to par. It additionally marked his eleventh profession Tour win.  

Sunday, like Thursday, Friday and Saturday, showcased Matsuyama’s bag-wide experience once more. What did you really feel was the very best half? The birdies on 5, 8, 9, 11 and 12? These have been good. The circles on 8, 11 and 12 all got here on putts 20 toes or longer. Or did you just like the hole-out on 5 extra? It got here from 107 yards out, and Matsuyama ooh’ed on that one.

Or did you like the motion on 16? There, he was feeling the warmth. There, he basically gained the match. After Morikawa had pulled inside two pictures on 15, Matsuyama blasted a drive down the appropriate aspect of the green, dropped a wedge to 4 and birdied, restoring a three-shot benefit. From there, he parred 17 and birdied 18 for the file. 

On the finish, he fist-pumped. 

You’d seemingly get no argument from even him that that was the very best a part of his week. 

The takeaway

Matsuyama appears dialed in. A yr of him and Scottie Scheffler enjoying darts can be enjoyable, wouldn’t it? 

The leaderboard breakdown

— Hideki Matsuyama begins the ultimate spherical 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 2. Matsuyama is at 29-under, Morikawa is at 27-under, and Im is at 22-under. 

— Matsuyama birdies the 520-yard, par-5 fifth after hitting his third shot to 14 inches, and his lead grows to 3. Matsuyama is at 30-under, Morikawa is at 27-under, and Im is at 23-under. 

— Morikawa bogeys the 418-yard, par-4 sixth after three-putting from 56 toes, and Matsuyama’s will increase to 4. Matsuyama is at 30-under, Morikawa is at 26-under, and Im is at 23-under. 

— Matsuyama bogeys the 532-yard, par-4 seventh after lacking the inexperienced together with his second shot, and Matsuyama’s lead goes again to 3. Matsuyama is at 29-under, Morikawa is at 26-under, and Im is at 23-under. 

— Matsuyama and Morikawa every birdie the 185-yard, par-3 eighth — 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 ninth on an 8-footer, and his lead grows to 4. Matsuyama is at 31-under, Morikawa is at 27-under, and Im is at 25-under. 

— Morikawa birdies the 377-yard, par-4 tenth on a 10-footer, and he pulls inside three of the lead. Matsuyama is at 31-under, Morikawa is at 28-under, and Im is at 25-under. 

— Matsuyama and Morikawa every birdie the 167-yard, par-3 eleventh — 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 twelfth on a 21-footer, and his lead grows to 4. 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 inside three. Matsuyama is at 33-under, and Morikawa is at 30-under. 

— Morikawa birdies the 551-yard, par-5 fifteenth after getting residence in two, and he pulls inside two. Matsuyama is at 33-under, and Morikawa is at 31-under. 

— Matsuyama, beneath strain, birdies the 363-yard, par-4 sixteenth with a tee shot down the appropriate aspect of the green and a wedge to 4 toes, and his lead goes again to 3. 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 aspect of the green, hits his second shot simply to the appropriate of the inexperienced, pitches on to eight toes and drops the putt for a closing birdie. He shoots an eight-under 65 and finishes at 35-under, the bottom 72-hole rating in relation to par. Ending runner-up, at 32-under, was Morikawa, and Im was third, at 29-under.  

The ultimate phrase 

“That final putt, I felt like if I make it, then it’s going to be the file, and so I’m so completely satisfied it went in.” — Matsuyama, by his translator, on Golf Channel after his spherical