MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hideki Matsuyama misplaced a five-shot lead in 4 holes and responded with birdies on two of the hardest holes on the course to salvage an even-par 70 and a two-shot victory Sunday within the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
The beginning of the PGA Tour’s postseason had tense moments on the prime of the leaderboard and on the bubble to find out the highest 50 gamers within the FedEx Cup who superior.
Nick Dunlap went from an opportunity to win to needing his greatest drive simply to increase his season, and he delivered his better of the day to advance to subsequent week. Tom Kim seemed sure to maneuver on to the subsequent FedEx Cup playoff occasion till a 6-6-6 end on his card ended his season.
Xander Schauffele began 9 photographs behind and waited to see if he would get in a playoff. Hovland had a one-shot lead with two holes to play.
In the end, it got here right down to Matsuyama.
Staked to a five-shot lead initially of the day, he went 27 straight holes and not using a bogey and led by 5 when he rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on the eleventh.
After which all of it got here undone — a three-putt bogey on the twelfth, a tee shot into the water on the par-3 14th and a scramble for bogey, two chips to achieve the fifteenth inexperienced for a double bogey.
Similar to that, he was one shot behind hard-charging Hovland, the defending FedEx Cup champion who got here into the postseason at No. 57 and not using a assure he would be capable of defend his title within the BMW Championship subsequent week.
Hovland, nevertheless, took bogey from the bunker on the seventeenth gap — the third hardest on the TPC Southwind within the ultimate spherical — and missed a 9-foot birdie likelihood on the 18th for a 66.
He was tied with Schauffele, who performed bogey-free within the stifling warmth for a 63.
Matsuyama, who labored magic along with his putter all week, delivered in a giant manner. He acquired onto the entrance of the inexperienced on the seventeenth from the left tough after which rolled in a birdie putt from simply over 25 ft to remain one forward.
The ultimate group on the ultimate gap — the toughest of the day — got here right down to this: Matsuyama wanted par to win, Dunlap wanted par to maneuver from No. 67 into the highest 50. A bogey would have bumped the previous U.S. Newbie champion out of the highest 50.
Each break up the center of the green. Dunlap hit his strategy to only outdoors 20 ft, whereas Matsuyama boldly took lifeless purpose on the flag to six ft for an additional birdie.
“I used to be a practice wreck. I am not going to misinform you. I used to be arguably essentially the most nervous I’ve ever been, to be trustworthy,” Dunlap mentioned of the final two holes. “I simply did not need the season to finish.”
His 69 to tie for fifth was sufficient to get by.
Matsuyama, who completed at 17-under 263, received for the second time this 12 months. He shot 62 within the ultimate spherical to win the Genesis Invitational at Riviera. Coming off a bronze medal on the Olympic, his efficiency apart from that terrible four-hole stretch was golden.
He received $3.6 million and moved from No. 8 to No. 3 within the FedEx Cup.
It was fairly per week for the Japanese star, who needed to discover a fill-in caddie and will work along with his coach solely over the telephone. All of them had been out to dinner in London on their manner house from the Paris Olympics when somebody stole their bag once they weren’t wanting.
The thief acquired Matsuyama’s pockets and the passports of his caddie and coach. They needed to return to Japan and work on getting expedited replacements. Matsuyama pressed on prefer it was one other work week and got here up along with his first postseason victory.
The fiftieth and ultimate spot went to Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, who was projected simply outdoors the cutoff for a lot of Sunday.
Hovland, Dunlap and Eric Cole (No. 54) moved into the highest 50. Cole did it in type with a 63, regardless of a bogey on the closing gap. Falling out of the highest 50 had been Kim (No. 43), Mackenzie Hughes (No. 48) and Jake Knapp (No. 50).
Kim was poised to advance till it took him two photographs to get out of a greenside bunker on the par-5 sixteenth (bogey), two chips to get to the inexperienced on the seventeenth (double bogey) and a tee shot into the water on the 18th (double bogey).
“This season has simply been … it is simply been like this,” Kim mentioned. “I’ve performed actually good golf, after which had some powerful finishes. I really feel like 2024 has actually kicked me within the butt.”
