Hideki Matsuyama Dominates The Sentry with Record-Setting Performance

Kapalua (Hawaii), Jan 6 (NationPress) Hideki Matsuyama concluded a commanding and record-breaking journey to his historic 11th PGA Tour victory with a stylish three-stroke win at the season-opening event, The Sentry.

The 32-year-old Japanese golfer outperformed fellow major champion Collin Morikawa with a stunning closing round of 8-under 65, which set a new 72-hole scoring record in relation to par with his impressive 35-under 257 winning total in the prestigious USD 20 million tournament.

Matsuyama, who claimed victory twice last season to surpass K.J. Choi of South Korea for the most PGA Tour titles by an Asian golfer, also recorded 35 birdies or better throughout a fantastic week, breaking the previous record by one. He remained in the lead since the second day of the tournament.

“I was aware that Collin would play well, so I thought to myself, ‘I’ll aim for 10-under today,’ and that was my mindset,” expressed a jubilant Matsuyama, who collected 700 FedExCup points and USD 3.6 million.

“That final putt felt significant; I knew if I made it, it would secure the record for me. I’m incredibly happy that it went in,” added the Asian star, who surpassed the previous Tour record of 34-under set at Kapalua by Cameron Smith in 2022, as well as the 34 birdies record held by South Korea’s Sungjae Im and Smith.

Im also had a remarkable week for Asian golf, finishing solo third with a bogey-free 65, marking his fourth top-10 finish in five starts at The Sentry, concluding six shots behind the champion at the par-73 Plantation Course in Kapalua.

Leading by one shot over Morikawa heading into the final round, Matsuyama got off to a flying start with a sensational eagle on the par-4 third hole, holing out a wedge shot from just over 100 yards. When Morikawa, who was pursuing his seventh career victory, applied pressure with birdies on holes 10 and 11, the Japanese ace responded with birdies of his own on 11 and 12 to maintain his lead and eventually cruised to victory, becoming the seventh player to achieve a Hawaiian double, having previously won the 2022 Sony Open in Hawaii.

“On the 3rd hole, 105 yards, I thought to myself, 'I hit a good one.' I anticipated a birdie, but then I heard the crowd, and I realized it went in. I’m definitely pleased it did. It was a delicate touch shot, and I executed it well,” said Matsuyama, who will soon compete at the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, starting Thursday.

Matsuyama’s third victory in the last ten months will elevate him to No. 5 in the Official World Golf Ranking, with his career high being No. 2 in 2017. This win will undoubtedly motivate him to pursue the current No. 1 ranked player, Scottie Scheffler, who missed The Sentry due to a hand injury.

“In September, November, and December, I didn’t get to play much golf, so I somewhat forgot about my last two wins; I see this as a fresh start,” he stated. “I have personal goals, and while I won’t disclose them here, there are achievements I’m still striving to reach.”

Morikawa expressed disappointment at not exerting more pressure on his competitor when the opportunity arose. “Reflecting on the shots I missed, there are several I wish I could have back. It’s going to take a while to move past this. Winning is tough. 35-under par is incredibly low. Matsuyama matched me shot for shot yesterday, and I felt I was playing exceptionally well, but today he just maintained his pace,” commented the American.

Two-time Tour winner Im recorded eight birdies for another bogey-free round, achieving his lowest four-day score at Kapalua with 29-under. “I feel great. It was a solid finish for the first event, and I hope to keep it up,” said the 26-year-old.

“It was a bogey-free round over two days, showcasing great play. It was quite windy today, but I made some excellent saves. I plan to take next week off and compete in Palm Springs. I need to improve gradually as the season progresses. My last victory was about three years ago. I aim to win again this season, but winning is challenging here because of the many talented and emerging players. I’ll do my best.”