Hideki Matsuyama closes with 62 to win Genesis Invitational

LOS ANGELES — The dialog started seven years in the past when Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama received his fourth PGA Tour title to move Shigeki Maruyama, his mentor. Maruyama informed him the last word mark was 9 tour wins, a report for many by an Asian-born participant.

Matsuyama had little motive to imagine that may come Sunday at Riviera.

Six pictures behind to start out the ultimate spherical of the Genesis Invitational, Matsuyama delivered a report efficiency — 9-under 62, the bottom closing spherical by a winner at Riviera — to realize the report that basically mattered.

He now has 9 PGA Tour wins, one higher than Ok.J. Choi of South Korea.

“Reaching 9 wins was one in every of my huge targets, passing Ok.J. Choi,” Matsuyama stated after his 3-shot victory. “After my eighth win, I have been battling my again harm. There have been numerous instances the place I felt I used to be by no means going to win once more. I struggled reaching to high 10, however I am actually completely happy that I used to be capable of win right now.”

This was an beautiful efficiency, second solely to his 61 within the remaining spherical at Firestone in 2017 on a day nobody else shot decrease than 65.

Matsuyama was a part of a five-way tie for the lead on the again 9 till he hit a stupendous fade with a 6-iron from 187 yards right into a breeze on the powerful fifteenth gap that carried the bunker and rolled out to eight inches for a tap-in birdie.

“Good shot,” he stated.

On the par-3 sixteenth, he dangled the membership after his tee shot as a result of it was 5 yards proper of the place he had been aiming, solely to see it roll to six inches from the cup for an additional birdie. He added a 3rd straight birdie with a chip down the slope on the par-5 seventeenth to only over 3 ft.

Matsuyama evenly pumped a fist — a uncommon present of emotion for him — when his 4-foot par putt with a pointy right-to-left break dropped in for a 62.

Doug Tewell shot 63 within the remaining spherical to win in 1986, the earlier report. Matsuyama’s 62 was 1 off the course report of 61 set by Ted Tryba in 1999.

The one downer for Matsuyama was not with the ability to pose with Tiger Woods, the event host who needed to withdraw Friday with a foul case of the flu.

“To win on this event was one in every of my targets ever since I grew to become professional,” Matsuyama stated. “After Tiger grew to become the host, that objective grew to become quite a bit larger. A bit of dissatisfied that I wasn’t capable of take an image with Tiger right now.”

Nonetheless, Woods let Matsuyama know he was watching.

“Congratulations to @hidekiofficial_ on an unbelievable win at @thegenesisinv,” Woods wrote on social media. “I used to be watching all day and seeing a report breaking 62 and coming from six pictures again is really particular.”

Congratulations to @hidekiofficial_ on an unbelievable win at @thegenesisinv. I used to be watching all day and seeing a report breaking 62 and coming from six pictures again is really particular.

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 19, 2024

Matsuyama entered the week and not using a top-10 end in 20 straight begins, the longest top-10 drought of his PGA Tour profession. Matsuyama was 80-1 to win getting into the week, in accordance with ESPN BET odds, and 125-1 getting into the ultimate spherical.

Matsuyama completed at 17-under 267 for a 3-shot victory over Will Zalatoris (69) and Luke Record (68). Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, greatest pals taking part in within the remaining group, pale in the midst of the again 9 and tied for fourth.

“As soon as I noticed Hideki ending at 17 beneath, it was a little bit of a deflater, I am certain for the remainder of the sector,” Schauffele stated. “However hats off to him. It is unbelievable. He is completed it a couple of instances now, capturing lights out on Sunday.”

It was the third time Matsuyama shot 63 or decrease on Sunday to win, most not too long ago on the Sony Open two years in the past. Maruyama despatched him a textual content that day in Hawaii, reminding him of their speak about breaking Choi’s report.

Matsuyama stated successful by no means entered his thoughts when he arrived on the course Sunday. Cantlay had a 2-shot lead and had not taken too many unsuitable steps. However he was feeling just a little sick, and the golf was a wrestle.

Cantlay hit solely 4 fairways and 9 greens. He missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the simple opening par 5 after which did not have one other take a look at birdie till the sixth gap. He made a birdie putt from 50 ft on the 18th for a 72.

Cantlay performed with Schauffele, who struggled simply as a lot. Schauffele bought again within the combine with a tricky birdie on the par-4 tenth and holing a bunker shot for eagle on the par-5 eleventh. He bogeyed the following three holes and rallied on the finish for a 70.

Record set the early tempo. Zalatoris took the lead in the midst of the again 9. At one level there was a five-way tie for the lead heading to the powerful stretch on the again 9 at Riviera.

After which Matsuyama took over with three straight birdies.

“The second shot on 15 was in all probability the most effective shot I had,” he stated by means of his interpreter.

Matsuyama had struggled the final two years, beginning with a neck and again harm at Bay Hill in March 2022. He had solely six top-10s worldwide throughout that stretch and fell out of the highest 50 on the earth.

“Ever since that harm, I used to be frightened each week one thing dangerous would possibly occur,” Matsuyama stated. “This week I had no difficulty. I performed with none worries. That basically helped.”

The win was value $4 million from the $20 million purse and strikes him to No. 20 on the earth with the whole main season forward of him. Matsuyama now has 18 wins worldwide, eight on the Japan Golf Tour and the unofficial Hero World Problem, additionally hosted by Woods. No less than he has an image from that day.

ESPN Stats & Data and The Related Press contributed to this report.