Hideki Matsuyama goes from collapse to clutch, wins playoff opener at FedEx St. Jude
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hideki Matsuyama lost a five-shot lead in four holes and responded with birdies on two of the toughest holes on the course to salvage an even-par 70 and a two-shot victory Sunday in the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
The start of the PGA Tour’s postseason had tense moments at the top of the leaderboard and on the bubble to determine the top 50 players in the FedExCup who advanced.
Nick Dunlap went from a chance to win to needing his best drive just to extend his season, and he delivered his best of the day to advance to next week. Tom Kim looked certain to move on to the next FedExCup playoff event until a 6-6-6 finish on his card ended his season.
Xander Schauffele started nine shots behind and waited to see if he would get in a playoff. Hovland had a one-shot lead with two holes to play.
Ultimately, it came down to Matsuyama.
Staked to a five-shot lead at the start of the day, he went 27 straight holes without a bogey and led by five when he rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on the 11th.
And then it all came undone — a three-putt bogey on the 12th, a tee shot into the water on the par-3 14th and a scramble for bogey, two chips to reach the 15th green for a double bogey.
Just like that, he was one shot behind hard-charging Hovland, the defending FedExCup champion who came into the postseason at No. 57 without a guarantee he would be able to defend his title in the BMW Championship next week.
Hovland, however, took bogey from the bunker on the 17th hole — the third-toughest at the TPC Southwind in the final round — and missed a 9-foot birdie chance on the 18th for a 66.
He was tied with Schauffele, who played bogey-free in the stifling heat for a 63.
Matsuyama, who worked magic with his putter all week, delivered in a big way. He got onto the front of the green at the 17th from the left rough and then rolled in a birdie putt from just over 25 feet to stay one ahead.
The final group on the final hole — the hardest of the day — came down to this: Matsuyama needed par to win, Dunlap needed par to move from No. 67 into the top 50. A bogey would have bumped the former U.S. Amateur champion out of the top 50.
Both split the middle of the fairway. Dunlap hit his approach to just outside 20 feet, while Matsuyama boldly took dead aim at the flag to 6 feet for another birdie.
“I was a train wreck. I’m not going to lie to you. I was arguably the most nervous I’ve ever been, to be honest,” Dunlap said of the last two holes. “I just didn’t want the season to end.”
His 69 to tie for fifth was enough to get by.
Matsuyama, who finished at 17-under 263, won for the second time this year. He shot 62 in the final round to win the Genesis Invitational at Riviera. Coming off a bronze medal at the Olympic, his performance except for that awful four-hole stretch was golden.
He won $3.6 million and moved from No. 8 to No. 3 in the FedExCup.
It was quite a week for the Japanese star, who had to find a fill-in caddie and could only work with his coach over the phone. All of them were out to dinner in London on their way home from the Paris Olympics when someone stole their bag when they weren’t looking.
The thief got Matsuyama’s wallet and the passports of his caddie and coach. They had to return to Japan and work on getting expedited replacements. Matsuyama pressed on like it was another work week and came up with his first postseason victory.
The 50th and final spot went to Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, who was projected just outside the cutoff for much of Sunday.
Hovland, Dunlap and Eric Cole (No. 54) moved into the top 50. Cole did it in style with a 63, despite a bogey on the closing hole. Falling out of the top 50 were Kim (No. 43), Mackenzie Hughes (No. 48) and Jake Knapp (No. 50).
Kim was poised to advance until it took him two shots to get out of a greenside bunker on the par-5 16th (bogey), two chips to get to the green on the 17th (double bogey) and a tee shot into the water on the 18th (double bogey).
“This season has just been … it’s just been like this,” Kim said. “I’ve played really good golf, and then had some tough finishes. I feel like 2024 has really kicked me in the butt.”
