got one of those bounces that would leave any golfer shaking their head during Thursday’s first round at Augusta National Playing the par-5 13th, Matsuyama was 1 under for the day after having missed a short putt on No. 12 that led to a bogey at the 2025 Masters. He had laid up short of the tributary to Rae's Creek. The Japanese star played what looked like a great shot onto the green from 67 yards, but after one bounce, the ball slammed into the flagstick and reversed all the way into the water hazard.  Matsuyama took a penalty and a drop, then knocked his fifth shot onto the green past the hole, spinning back but still some 15 feet from the hole. He two-putted for a double bogey after having been within reach of a birdie. The 7 dropped him to 1 over for the round.  Text description provided by the architects. This project involves the reconstruction of a community-based facility designed to share knowledge about household affairs and children's education. Located in the suburbs of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, the new building accommodates a broad range of users, from infants to seniors, fostering a space for diverse activities aimed at improving family life. A large gabled roof defines the building's presence, giving it the familiar appearance of a "big house." Beneath this unifying form, spaces are arranged around a central lobby, ensuring seamless movement and flexible use. The layout supports both intimate gatherings and larger events, fostering a sense of community while maintaining a human-scaled atmosphere. You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Rory McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam with a birdie on the first playoff hole against Justin Rose at the Masters Tournament on Sunday the 2021 Masters champion and the only Japanese player in the elite field matched the day's low round with a 6-under 66 to finish tied for 21st McIlroy became the sixth player in history to win each of golf's four majors Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in accomplishing the feat The Northern Irishman made his winning putt on the first playoff hole after hitting a gap wedge from 125 yards to about three feet from the pin England's Rose missed his birdie putt from 15 feet and parred and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time," the 35-year-old McIlroy said and so proud to be able to call myself a Masters champion." McIlroy earned the winner's prize of $4.2 million It was his third win of the season and 29th of his PGA Tour career His final-round 73 and Rose's 66 left both players at 11-under par for the tournament McIlroy appeared to be in control when holding a four-shot lead at the turn But he dropped four strokes in four holes from the 11th with a pair of bogeys and a double bogey Rose battled back to make his 10th birdie of the day on the final hole of regulation Patrick Reed was alone in third at 9-under compatriot Scottie Scheffler a stroke further back Matsuyama bounced back from a disastrous third-round 79 to rack up seven birdies before finishing with his only bogey of the day and I was able to get my momentum going from there," the 33-year-old said so I wanted to make up for all those dropped shots It was just disappointing to end with a bogey." Golf: U.S. LPGA rookie Rio Takeda rolls to 6-shot win in China To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible KAPALUA, Hawaii -- Hideki Matsuyama opened the new season with a record performance though it was hard to tell from his emotions with 35 holes at birdie or better to finish at 35-under par He broke into a wide smile only when his caddie, Shota Hayafuji, spoke to him on the side of the 18th green Sunday at Kapalua after one final birdie gave Matsuyama the scoring records and a three-shot victory over Collin Morikawa It translates roughly to thanks for a traditional Japanese gift to children in the new year to wish them luck and prosperity Matsuyama won $3.6 million from his 11th career victory There was little luck involved over four days on a Plantation course that was vulnerable as ever without hardly any of the wind for which it was designed Matsuyama made only one bogey over the final 59 holes to finish at 35-under 257 Staked to a one-shot lead going into the final round Matsuyama holed out from 107 yards for eagle on the third hole expanded the lead when Morikawa had consecutive three-putts -- one for par another for bogey -- and answered a late challenge with another wedge to 4 feet He closed with an 8-under 65 and started the new season in ways Matsuyama would not have imagined The 32-year-old Japanese star had only a few days of practice leading into the season opener because he was not feeling well He decided on a whim to switch to a more center-shafted putter he received a few days after Christmas "I used the putter for the first here," Matsuyama said through his interpreter Asked why that style of putter worked so well for him Matsuyama wasn't entirely sure that 34 under had been the record for 72 holes then it's going to be the record," he said "He was matching me yesterday shot for shot," said Morikawa alluding to both posting a 62 in the third round that set them apart from the field "Today he just never let up," Morikawa said "Then you get to the third hole and the guy holes it I just knew I had to be on top of everything and just kind of let a few slip on that front nine Morikawa closed with a 67 to finish three behind at 32-under 260 Matsuyama has three PGA Tour victories in the past 10 months all of them against strong fields -- Riviera last February and the first FedEx Cup playoff event in August Matsuyama began to build some separation when he holed a sand wedge from 107 yards on the third hole taking one hop and disappearing in the cup for eagle Matsuyama saw the crowd cheer from behind the elevated green widened his eyes and pursed his lips and tapped fists with his caddie stayed within two until he had a three-putt par on the fifth hole after Matsuyama hit a superb chip from behind the green to tap-in range Morikawa had another three-putt from 60 feet and he did well to stay in the game until the final few holes Morikawa birdied the 14th and 15th holes -- Matsuyama missed birdie chances from 6 feet and 10 feet -- to close to within two shots with three to play Matsuyama effectively ended it with a wedge to 4 feet on the 16th for birdie The Sentry is a signature event with a $20 million purse and the $3.6 million payoff to Matsuyama put him over $60 million for his career Im closed with a 65 to finish alone in third Matsuyama is the seventh player to win both Hawaii tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule. Justin Thomas (2017) and Ernie Els (2003) are the only players to win both in the same year Matsuyama will have a chance to join them next week in the Sony Open on Oahu Taylor Pendrith delivered the most unlikely shot of the tournament holing out his 6-iron from 200 yards on the par-5 fifth for the first albatross on the Plantation course since this season-opening tournament moved to Kapalua in 1999 I knew it was going to be really good," Pendrith said But the fans that were up by the green went crazy so .css-s4id4f{font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:1.9rem;line-height:2.2rem;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:-0.01em;}Official Money Hideki Matsuyama is the defending champion at The Genesis Invitational but any course metrics from last year’s performance won’t help handicappers this week Usually hosted at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades the event relocated down the coast to Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla which hosted the Farmers Insurance Open only three weeks ago was called into emergency hosting duty after devastating fires ravaged parts of Los Angeles last month the other track used during the Farmers event Matsuyama (+2200) enjoys the South Course and the 7,765 yards and par-72 layout Making his 13th consecutive start in late January he played the weekend for the ninth straight season but he also owns four other paychecks of T16 or better Players listed below are competing this week.* - won in playoff Jason Day (+5000) is the only two-time champion at Torrey Pines entered this week after host Tiger Woods withdrew on Monday reinforces there is more than one way to play the South Course The field will struggle to hit the narrow fairways or find greens in regulation from four-plus inches of overseeded rough Getting up and down and avoiding bogeys have been the recipe for success for recent winners Making the cut in 11 of 16 attempts at Torrey Pines Appearing at Torrey Pines for the first event since cashing T7 in the 2021 U.S Rory McIlroy (+650) is the second choice at the top of the FanDuel Sportsbook this week The winner at Pebble Beach two weeks ago took last week off and should have had plenty of time to reunite with the big ballpark resting on top of the bluffs of La Jolla overlooking the Pacific Ocean In three starts at the Farmers Insurance Open and T16 in the winter of 2021 before the major that summer he owns an aggregate of 18-under on the South Course demanding examinations from the tee boxes translate into the strength of one of the best drivers of the golf ball on TOUR Best South Course aggregates from past Farmers Insurance Opens: Never accused of being one of the longest off-the-tee or strongest tee-to-green Sungjae Im (+3500) has thrived recently on the South Course Playing the weekend in six of seven career starts he has hit the top 10 in three of his last four his worst round from 14 loops on the weekend is 73 Recent winners on the South Course have excelled in getting up-and-down and holing putts to save par Scottie Scheffler (+400): The world No. 1 returns for the first time since T20 in 2022, his only result from three visits to the municipal course north of San Diego. He posted all three rounds on the South Course in red figures, but none better than 70. Collin Morikawa (+1600): The world No. 4 collected T21 on his debut in 2020 and hit the podium with a solo third the following year. Returning in 2024, he missed the cut and did not tee it up in January. Ludvig Åberg (+2200): The world No. 6 posted all three rounds on the South Course in 2024 at par or better (5-under) to secure T9 on debut. Last month, he opened with 63 on the North Course (not in use this week) before fighting illness and cashing T42. Viktor Hovland (+5000): The Norwegian returns for the first time since sharing second in 2021. A second-round 65 on the South Course was the driving force behind his podium result. Justin Rose (+15000): The Englishman cashed in the top 10 four times in five years, including his victory in 2019. Missing the cut in defense, he returned two years later and collected T6 and T18 before MC-T56 in his last two tries. Keegan Bradley (+6000): Making his 15th start, he’s only missed the 2021 edition since debuting in his 2011 rookie season. Advancing to the weekend for the eighth straight time in January, he cashed T15, his best payday since solo second in 2023 and sixth T16 or better career. Tony Finau (+4000): Teeing it up for the 12th time, the big hitter from Utah has never finished worse than T24. He’s missed the cut twice in his last six events but owns four top-10 results. Will Zalatoris (+5000): Withdrawing before the January event started due to illness, the 2022 runner-up in a playoff could not add to his gaudy course history. Cashing T13 during his last visit in 2024, he also picked up T7 in 2021. Justin Thomas (+1800): Including the 2021 U.S. Open, the 15-time winner on TOUR has cashed T25 or better in four out of five events on the property. Thomas Detry (+5500): Posting T37 on debut in 2023, he returned last year with T20 and last month with T15. When recent form meets course form... Max Homa (+17000): The 2023 champion won on his seventh attempt and backed it up with T13 in defense. Posting T9 in 2020 and T18 in 2021, four of his last six have been fruitful. Rickie Fowler (+15000): Playing as a sponsor exemption this week, the SoCal native rediscovered his touch around Torrey Pines on his last visit in 2023. He cashed inside the top 15 (T11) for the first time in 10 starts and was 5-under on the South Course. For resources to overcome a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER today. Copyright © 2025 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission during the opening round of the tournament The 2021 Masters champion hit his third shot on the par-5 13th hole right at the pin The deflection sent it right off the green and the ball rolled directly into Rae's Creek Hideki Matsuyama with some bad luck as his approach shot bounces off the flag stick and rolls into the water 😳 #themasters pic.twitter.com/z1FiBhuhBz Instead of being inside 5 feet with a chance for an easy birdie which took him from 1 under to 1 over on the day That double bogey followed a bogey at the 12th hole and completely flipped his round on its head The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Full Screen1 / 10Previous photoNext photoScottie Scheffler lifts his son Bennett after winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney (AP Photo/LM Otero)Scottie Scheffler smiles after winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney after Scheffler won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney (AP Photo/LM Otero)Scottie Scheffler watches his tee shot on the sixth hole during the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney (AP Photo/LM Otero)Scottie Scheffler hits onto the sixth green during the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney (AP Photo/LM Otero)Scottie Scheffler watches his tee shot on the third hole during the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney (AP Photo/LM Otero)Scottie Scheffler prepares to putt on the first hole during the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney (AP Photo/LM Otero)Scottie Scheffler waves after sinking a putt on the sixth green during the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney (AP Photo/LM Otero)Jordan Spieth sets up for a putt on the first green during the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney (AP Photo/LM Otero)Jordan Spieth watches his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney (AP Photo/LM Otero)Copyright 2025 The Associated Press Scottie Scheffler lifts his son Bennett after winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney MCKINNEY, Texas – Scottie Scheffler cradled his year-old son Bennett — the reason he missed his beloved hometown CJ Cup Byron Nelson in 2024 — and struggled to keep his emotions in check for a TV interview just as he did a few minutes later during the victory speech The top-ranked player had time to prepare for the moment because of the giant lead he took into Sunday's final round and he even added a little drama by chasing the PGA Tour's 72-hole scoring record Scheffler matched that mark of 253 set by Justin Thomas at the 2017 Sony Open and equaled six years later by Ludvig Aberg at the RSM Classic closing with a 63 to finish at 31 under par The runaway victory came 11 years after his PGA Tour debut at the Nelson as a high school senior and 22 years after a photo was taken of then-6-year-old Scheffler with the tournament namesake Scheffler couldn't help but think about that day in 2014 was his girlfriend — not yet the mother of their first child — and sister Callie and I think at times it all comes crashing down to me at once,” Scheffler said “We have a lot of great memories as kids coming to watch this tournament and it’s more of a dream to be able to win it.” Scheffler was in position to break the tour scoring record before a flubbed chip that led to bogey on the par-3 17th hole and a par from a greenside bunker on the par-5 closing hole His 8-foot putt for birdie and the record slid by the left side of the hole Hideki Matsuyama has the lowest score in relation to par this season 35 under on the par-73 Plantation Course at Kapalua Scheffler tied the 54-hole Nelson record with an eight-shot lead and nobody got closer than six during the final round Erik van Rooyen of South Africa matched Scheffler’s 8-under 63 to finish at 23 under three shots ahead of Sam Stevens and four ahead of another hometown favorite and I told you it was going to be a steep mountain to climb which is kind of what you expect from the world No Scheffler and Spieth finished with the two lowest rounds of the tournament. Scheffler opened with a 10-under 61 on Thursday at the defenseless par-71 TPC Craig Ranch in a suburban community about 30 miles north of Dallas knowing his friend and fellow Texas alum was about to become the first of the pair to win the event they both cherish Spieth was the first to make his tour debut at the Nelson leading many to believe that surely he would have won it by now “I think I’ll take it easy on him,” Scheffler said with a chuckle Spieth played with Scheffler the first two days and was 12 shots behind him going into the weekend They started the tournament with 13 PGA Tour wins apiece “It wasn’t that long ago I was definitely better than him and now I’m definitely not right now,” said Spieth but I just watched it those first two rounds It was the first victory this year for Scheffler after he won a total of 10 times before May in the previous three years combined Scheffler’s previous best Nelson finish was a tie for fifth in his most recent appearance two years ago Now he's the first wire-to-wire Nelson winner since Tom Watson 45 years ago “I’m not jealous of him winning this event over any other,” Spieth said Scheffler shattered the previous Nelson scoring record of 259 set by Steven Bowditch in 2015 That tournament was played at the TPC Four Seasons that course had a par-69 layout the final three days when heavy rain forced officials to convert a par 4 into a par 3 The margin of victory was the second-largest at the Nelson behind Sam Snead’s 10-shot win in 1957 when it was known as the Dallas Open Invitational “This is a golf course where you can kind of make a run and I knew that I couldn’t just coast to the finish line today,” Scheffler said “I knew I had to put together a good round.” Because of heavy rain Wednesday and Friday clean and replace their golf balls in the fairway for the first three rounds Aberg had so-called preferred lies during the first rounds at the 2023 RSM Classic AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf rewritten or redistributed without permission TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us / Follow on Social Media Careers at WKMG Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications EEO Report Disability Assistance Copyright © 2025 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group Tournament Chairman Matt Mooney announced today the WM Phoenix Open has received early commitments from some of the PGA TOUR’s top players who will tee it up at “The People’s Open” February 3-9 at TPC Scottsdale Among the first to commit include defending WM Phoenix Open champion Nick Taylor two-time WM Phoenix Open winner and 2024 Olympic Silver medalist Hideki Matsuyama “We’re thrilled to welcome some of the world’s top players to our 2025 field including two of our former champs Hideki and Nick,” Mooney said “The WM Phoenix Open prides itself on having one of the most competitive fields on TOUR and these early commitments put us on track to continue that tradition as we gear up for the 90th edition of ‘The People’s Open.’” Taylor won last year’s WM Phoenix Open in dramatic fashion besting Charley Hoffman in a two-hole sudden-death playoff The Canadian standout has been a consistent presence on the PGA TOUR with career-defining wins highlighted by the 2023 RBC Canadian Open – a historic triumph on home soil making him the first Canadian in nearly seven decades to win Canada’s official open championship Last Summer Taylor proudly represented Canada in Paris in the Olympic Games further solidifying his role as one of the nation’s most accomplished golfers He seeks to become the ninth player to win back-to-back WM Phoenix Open titles 5 golfer Matsuyama has already started off the 2025 season strong after an extraordinary performance in the TOUR’s season-opener at the Sentry in Maui The two-time WM Phoenix Open champion made history at Kapalua with the lowest 72-hole score in PGA TOUR history His incredible career includes 19 worldwide wins including the 2021 Masters where he became the first Japanese born player to win a Major he has been a fixture in the FedExCup Playoffs making an impressive 10 TOUR Championship appearances since 2014 The 11-time PGA TOUR winner is one of only eight players to successfully defend his WM Phoenix Open title the following year with back-to-back wins in 2016 and 2017 Matsuyama will vie for his third WM Phoenix Open win in 2025 seeking to become only the fourth player in tournament history to win three times (Arnold Palmer five Top-10s and eight Top-25 finishes in 11 WM Phoenix Open starts Clark claimed his first two career wins in 2023 winning the Wells Fargo Championship in May then followed that up with his first major championship win at the 2023 U.S In 2024 he continued his strong play with a victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to go along with two runner-up outings and eight Top-10s to finish eighth in the final FedExCup rankings This will be Clark’s seventh WM Phoenix Open appearance By submitting this form, you are granting: WM Phoenix Open, 7226 N. 16th Street, Phoenix, Arizona, 85020, United States, https://wmphoenixopen.com permission to email you. You may unsubscribe via the link found at the bottom of every email. (See our Email Privacy Policy for details.) Emails are serviced by Constant Contact Hideki Matsuyama is hungry to add another major to his resume becoming both the first Japanese player and the first Asian-born player to win the tournament making him the most successful Japanese member in Tour history with his latest win coming at The Sentry in January 2025 where he finished with a Tour 72-hole record of 35 under par and he explained what the association has meant to him and how the brand’s strengths relate to his game “Excellence and precision are two of the qualities required to succeed in the game of golf especially at times when golfers are under high pressure – not just mentally but also due to the varying environmental demands and golf course conditions,” he said “It becomes more difficult to perform to the best of our abilities when faced with these circumstances which is why the daily practice outside of tournament weeks and the way we spend our time away from the golf course are so important This is what allows us to maintain our composure and consistency during the big moments.” Matsuyama has proven he’s more than capable in the big moments and he’s motivated to do again but from a more mature and developed stand point,” he explained Here are seven questions with the Japanese champion reminiscing about his 2021 victory at the Masters and more It was an incredible feeling making the last putt on 18th green Now it has become my next dream to win another major title Q: How do you manage the pressure at such a prestigious event like the Masters?HM: I just love being at the Augusta National Golf Club Playing golf there is so exciting and fun for me The pressure is there at certain occasions but the enjoyment of being at the Augusta National Golf Club and the fun parts of competing in the Masters Tournament definitely outweigh the pressure and stressful situations HM: Tiger Woods’ first Masters win back in 1997; his last in 2019; and mine in 2021 would be my most memorable and iconic moments HM: Growing up in the rural countryside of Japan I just loved to hit balls every day but never imagined that kind of moment would ever come It was such a great honor to meet the Prime Minister and receive that award HM: To love what you do and work hard to become better HM: While moments like winning the Masters Tournament in 2021 are real highlights I always try to look ahead and keep working hard to reach an even higher level without reflecting too much on the past so I tried to sit next to someone who I don't have to talk with -- sit next to Adam (Scott) Hideki Matsuyama has a simple theory as to how he could potentially complete a rare collection of trophies associated to three legends of the game at this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard “It’s very simple really … hit the ball straight and make a lot of putts,” Matsuyama said with a smile Asia's winningest player on TOUR obviously knows it’s easier said than done at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando But with the Jack Nicklaus-hosted 2014 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday and last season’s Tiger Woods-hosted The Genesis Invitational under his belt he has added motivation to win another tournament linked to the great Arnold Palmer A return to Bay Hill is always a privilege for the 33-year-old based in Orlando This week will be his 11th successive appearance in the Signature Event Matsuyama challenged for the title 12 months ago holding the joint lead through 36 holes before finishing T12 for his fifth top-25 finish at Bay Hill the winner here also receives a red cardigan in memory of Palmer a tradition that began with the 2017 tournament after the passing of the 62-time PGA TOUR winner in 2016 Formidable iron play has continued to be one of Matsuyama’s greatest strengths – he currently ranks 17th in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green – while his putting stats have also improved sharply to 34th (versus a lowly 121st last year) These have translated to a record-breaking victory at The Sentry in Hawaii in January and three other top 25s this season and he ranks third on the FedExCup points list “I feel like things are coming together and heading in the right direction but it all really comes down to once the tee is in the ground and how quickly I can get those feelings out on the course,” said Matsuyama The rough is long and there’s a lot of water out there Make sure I play well the first three days and put myself in a position to win on Sunday.” Almost nine years since the passing of Palmer Matsuyama fondly remembers his encounter with the legend But I did feel he had a very kind aura about himself." but it was a really fun environment and I really enjoyed it," he said "It was fun to play competitive golf and feel that kind of pressure." The other Asian stars in this week’s elite field at Bay Hill include the Korean quartet of Tom Kim The Arnold Palmer Invitational is the fourth of eight Signature Events in 2025. There's not really a sport that can humble someone quite like golf can You can hit an absolute perfect shot and end up in the most regrettable of situations Just look at what happened to 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama on Thursday at Augusta National With Matsuyama hitting his third shot on the par-5 13th in the first round the golf gods threw some dreadful luck Matsuyama's way The ball went right off the base of the flag stick and bounced into the water off the green He went from having his best shot of the day to battling for a double bogey on 13th The double bogey dropped Matsuyama to one-over par through 13 Hideki Matsuyama holes 8-foot birdie putt to win The Sentry Hideki Matsuyama opened the 2025 PGA TOUR season with his 11th career PGA TOUR title at The Sentry, and he made it a record-setting week on Maui. Matsuyama carded a four-round total of 35-under 257 at The Plantation Course at Kapalua, marking the lowest score in relation to par for a 72-hole PGA TOUR event. The Japan native posted rounds of 65-65-62-65 at the par-73 Kapalua venue to finish three strokes clear of Collin Morikawa. Matsuyama, 32, surpassed the previous TOUR record of 34-under, set at Kapalua by Cameron Smith in 2022. Prior to Matsuyama’s showing this week, the three lowest 72-hole totals all came at The Sentry in 2022, with Smith leading followed by Jon Rahm (33-under) and Matt Jones (32-under) on a historically scoreable venue that features wide fairways and pure greens. Hideki Matsuyama holes out from 107 yards for Eagle at The Sentry Matsuyama carded 33 birdies and two eagles (just two bogeys) for the week at The Sentry in his record-setting effort. The 13th-year pro won twice on TOUR last season (at The Genesis Invitational and the FedEx St. Jude Championship) to qualify for The Sentry, a Signature Event with a 59-player field. He finished ninth on the 2024 FedExCup standings, as well. Prior to 2022, the lowest 72-hole total relative to par also came at Kapalua: Ernie Els (31-under) in 2003. The season opener requires birdies in bunches, and Matsuyama was up to the task – historically so. Hideki Matsuyama’s record-setting winning highlights from The Sentry Matsuyama is no stranger to trying out numerous different prototype putters every week on TOUR he switched it up and went for a center-shafted model where the shaft extends upwards from the center of the clubhead versus the heel portion A look at Hideki Matsuyama's Scotty Cameron 009M Center Shaft Tour prototype putter a plumber’s neck hosel has a slight toe hang and is usually best for players with a slight arc to their stroke whereas a center-shafted putter is mostly face-balanced and is best for players with a more straight-back and straight-through stroke style the center-shafted Scotty Cameron prototype worked wonders for Matsuyama in his record-breaking appearance at The Sentry Interestingly, Matsuyama was also using a new 2025 Srixon Z-Star XV golf ball, which was just announced to retail by the company on Monday. Matsuyama actually switched to the prototype golf ball ahead of the 2024 Genesis Invitational in February, but to the general public, the golf ball is completely new. Per Srixon, the Z-Star XV golf ball is formulated with a new, extra thin, urethane cover that’s engineered with “biomass” that enhances durability. “Our approach to this generation of the Z-Star Series was to produce a more durable ball without compromising performance,” said Jeff Brunski, vice president of research and development at Srixon. “This generation’s unique cover and stronger coating help improve the spin performance specific to each ball, while our team has improved distance and control to provide golfers purer performance from tee to green.” Plus, a new FastLayer DG Core 2.0 design is firmer at the center and gets firmer from the inside-out, helping optimize spin and distance. Obviously, something is working with the golf ball for Matsuyama, since he’s won three times (The Genesis Invitational 2024, 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship, The Sentry 2025) since making the switch. A look at Hideki Matsuyama's Srixon ZX5 LS MkII 9.5-degree driver. (Credit GolfWRX) A look at Hideki Matsuyama's Srixon Z-Forged II irons. (Credit GolfWRX) For the rest of his bag setup, Matsuyama uses a Srixon ZX5 LS Mk II 9.5-degree driver, a TaylorMade Qi10 3-wood, a Cobra King RadSpeed Tour 5-wood, Srixon Z-Forged II irons (4-9) and Cleveland RTX 4 Forged Prototype wedges (48, 52, 56 and 60) to go along with the new Scotty Cameron center-shafted putter. Timberlake x Nike shoe collab early access Hideki Matsuyama uses a Srixon Z5 Mk II LS driver Behind a final-round 8-under 65 Sunday, Hideki Matsuyama won the Sentry with a tee-to-green clinic, breaking the PGA Tour record with a 35-under total for 72 holes. Take a closer look at the Srixon, Cleveland, TaylorMade and Titleist clubs Matsuyama used for the historic win, including the prototype Scotty Cameron putter he put in the bag this week and his unreleased Srixon Z-STAR golf ball. Driver: Srixon ZX5 MK II LS 9.5 degrees (Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8TX shaft) 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9TX shaft), 15 degrees Irons: Srixon Z-Forged II 4-PW (True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts) Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 4 Forged 52-10, 56-08 and 60-08 degrees (True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts in 52 and 56, X100 in 60) Putter: Scotty Cameron 009M Center Shaft Tour Prototype View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fully Equipped (@fullyequippedgolf) Golf Ball: Srixon Z-STAR XV (9th generation) All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team Japan’s Mao Matsuyama, 16, holds no relation to a star fellow countryman – but he’s chasing a similar stature in the game of golf. “I often get asked if we are brothers or related,” he said of 11-time TOUR winner Hideki Matsuyama. “Thanks to my last name, I get more attention from everyone, and I think that may be a good thing.” Mao Matsuyama is playing this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii on a sponsor exemption after winning last year’s Japan Amateur at age 15, becoming the youngest winner in the event’s history. He broke the mark set by Takumi Kanaya, who won the 2015 Japan Amateur at age 17. (Interestingly, Kanaya is making his PGA TOUR debut as a member at the Sony Open after earning his card via PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry last month.) The Sony Open marks Mao Matsuyama’s first time playing golf outside Japan, a life memory for the teen who has watched the event since childhood. Yet the experience was heightened in a Tuesday practice round alongside Hideki Matsuyama. The elder Matsuyama, winner of the 2022 Sony Open, won last week’s season-opening The Sentry with a TOUR 72-hole record score to par (35-under). Two days before their practice round at Waialae, Mao Matsuyama closely followed The Sentry. “I watched it in its entirety,” Mao said. “It was an amazing feat in itself to win the tournament. But to do so with that score was absolutely incredible. I only have one word - incredible. “It was really a learning experience for me,” Mao added of his Tuesday round with Hideki. “I was fortunate to play a round with him to continue my education.” Japanese players are historically fan favorites at the Sony Open, dating back to Isao Aoki’s memorable 1983 victory with a hole-out eagle at the 72nd hole to win by one. Two years ago, Hideki Matsuyama’s Sony Open title was met with similar fervor; he made up a five-stroke deficit on the final nine and defeated Russell Henley with an eagle on the first playoff hole. “I’ve watched the telecast many times since I was little,” Mao said this week. “For me to be a part of this tournament, it is an absolute honor.” Perhaps this week, aspiring Japanese golfers will find Mao when they tune in. Mao Matsuyama hails from Nagoya, Japan, the middle sibling of three (he has an older brother and a younger sister). He picked up a golf club at age 3 before starting to play more consistently at age 5 – his dad enjoyed the game, and he liked to tag along. At age 8, he started dreaming of becoming a professional golfer. “As I played golf every day, I started to feel the sense of joy and fun in the game,” Mao Matsuyama said. “I realized that I wanted to play this game for a long time. That’s how I started dreaming about becoming a professional golfer.” He committed to the craft and progressed toward a crescendo last summer, winning the Toyota Junior World Cup and Japan Amateur in back-to-back weeks. That stretch vaulted him inside the top 200 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking; he currently stands No. 195. In many ways, his journey is just beginning. He knows that. But for inspiration to the possibilities of achievement at the highest level, he doesn’t need to venture too far. “I want to be one of the best golfers in the world just like Hideki Matsuyama and even go beyond that,” Mao Matsuyama said this week. “As a Japanese, I want the world to know my name and be a famous professional golfer.” Mao Matsuyama will begin the Sony Open at 1:40 p.m. local time Thursday (6:40 p.m. ET) alongside Isaiah Salinda and John Pak. This year’s must-see shows range from a Nordic Pavilion exploring transgender spaces to a compelling Lebanese project confronting the realities of ecocide Frieze returns to The Shed in May with more than 65 of the world’s leading contemporary art galleries and the acclaimed Focus section led by Lumi Tan the artist merges seemingly incompatible visual traditions challenging the binary thinking that once marginalized him presents approximately 40 works spanning painting The exhibition takes its name from the Bible verse Matthew 20:16: ‘the last shall be first In the painting Bring You Home Stratus (2024) Matsuyama merges a traditional Japanese villa with a Beverly Hills courtyard; Baroque figures inhabit this composite space alongside tropical foliage rendered in nihonga The massive canvas glows with saturated ceruleans and vivid magentas its bold outlines and flattened forms generating unsettling spatial tension the work creates a visual vertigo that never quite resolves Matsuyama transposes Jacques-Louis David’s The Death of Socrates (1787) to an American supermarket rendering Socrates receiving poison as a consumer accepting processed food This painstakingly detailed tableau deploys an almost excessive decorative density a deliberate maximalism where ornament becomes commentary as seemingly disparate elements reference their original contexts while coexisting in new viewers must physically negotiate the tension between familiarity and disorientation Matsuyama positions massive canvases at unexpected angles some works sprawling across multiple shaped panels that reject conventional framing Catharsis Metanoia (2024) confronts viewers with its ghostly semi-transparent rendering of American marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima – a loaded historical reference now floating between Japanese and American domestic interiors which calls to mind the experience of cultural liminality the artist described to me as ‘being neither here nor there’ While Matsuyama’s work superficially resembles Superflat aesthetics with its bold outlines flattened perspectives and pattern-rich surfaces his approach diverges fundamentally from Takashi Murakami’s movement Where Superflat is intrinsically oriented toward Japanese postwar culture He samples from sources as varied as Renaissance portraiture Baroque art and American fashion magazines This hybridity is further complicated by Matsuyama’s Christian background notable in a country where the faith is shared by about 1 percent of the population His knowledge of Biblical narratives provides him with a visual vocabulary that transcends simple categorization allowing him to move fluidly between cultural references that might otherwise seem at odds Whereas earlier paintings – like those included in his first Japanese solo show Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art’s ‘Fictional Landscape’ (2023–24) – hinted at Christian symbolism through oblique Renaissance references these new works engage explicitly with Biblical narrative pastoral scenes feature religious figures wearing contemporary streetwear – saints in Supreme hoodies and apostles in Nike Matsuyama’s growing comfort with his multicultural identity is reflected by his willingness to merge seemingly incompatible visual traditions ‘FIRST LAST’ arrives at a pivotal moment when institutions worldwide are reconsidering what constitutes ‘authentic’ cultural expression The Azabudai Hills show confirms that Japan’s art establishment has The show rejects the binary thinking that once marginalized him offering instead a complex conception of cultural identity navigated through visual means Matsuyama’s work feels distinctly contemporary addressing globalization’s central paradox: the more interconnected we become the more fiercely we cling to simplified notions of cultural authenticity that never truly existed Tomokazu Matsuyama, ‘FIRST LAST’ is on view at Azabudai Hills Gallery Courtesy: Azabudai Hills Gallery; photograph: Osamu Sakamoto The artist’s exhibition at Museu de Arte Contemporânea in São Paulo presents compelling investigations into surveillance a show of work by Sheba Chhachhi and Lala Rukh blends art and activism In the artist’s show at Taipei Fine Arts Museum sculptures made with recycled goods engage with cycles of consumption a show of the Sino-Thai artist’s calligraphic abstractions invites meditations on history and impermanence The K-pop star and actor chooses a dramatic painting by Janaina Tschäpe and a deeply meditative piece by Park Seo-Bo At 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art a group show about nature and technology asks visitors to listen to the trees the artist reminds viewers of the political efficacy of games the French-Algerian artist asks how we might mend connections and cultivate hope  the late composer’s sound installations commingle with restagings and responses a group show subverts purist sculptural principles memory and tedium to inspect the hidden realities behind everyday life a show of the East Village artist’s photographs and archival materials paints a picture of her queer community the artist’s sculptures challenge the ways bodies are scrutinized at nation-state borders © FRIEZE 2025 Cookie Settings | Do Not Sell My Personal Information Hideki Matsuyama set records en route to a stunning victory at The Genesis Invitational in 2024 He had missed a customary photo with the tournament host The 32-year-old Japanese star won at The Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles Choi for most PGA TOUR victories by an Asian golfer following his ninth career title "Obviously I'm looking forward to defending my title this week and I've heard some rumors that Tiger might be here this Sunday so hopefully I get that trophy and get that picture with him this week,” Matsuyama said in his pre-tournament press conference Tuesday at Torrey Pines who had to withdraw from the second round last year due to flu-like symptoms Matsuyama said he met the golf legend at the Masters two months later “He gave me a big smile and congratulated me," Matsuyama said I was really looking forward to coming back to Riviera a bit disappointed I wasn't able to come back (However) feel like I had a really good preparation in the two days Behind the scenes with Hideki Matsuyama after his win at The Genesis Victory at Riviera led to a resurgence in form as Matsuyama ended a frustrating two-year winless drought and subsequently claimed further wins at the FedEx St Jude Championship in August and The Sentry in Hawaii to start the 2025 FedExCup season His most recent triumph saw him establish a new 72-hole winning record of 35-under at The Plantation Course at Kapalua believes that staying healthy and injury free has been key to his recent success “I feel like I don't have much injury right now and I've been able to practice more compared to the last two seasons.," said the Japanese star who is currently third on the FedExCup standings "I think that's maybe the key to me being consistent like this I had this injury where I wasn't able to practice as much as I wished Let's say I wanted to practice for one hour I was only able to practice for 15 minutes I feel like my body being healthy is the key of being in good condition right now." The South Course will not be an unfamiliar test for Matsuyama as it is the host venue for the Farmers Insurance Open which he has played in every edition since 2014 including a T3 in 2019 (his best) and a T32 at the event three weeks ago “It seems like it's going to rain this week The 72-man field will showcase 46 of the world’s top-50 golfers including world No who won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am two weeks ago and other Asian stars including the Korean quartet of Tom Kim Woods, winner of 82 PGA TOUR titles, withdrew from the tournament earlier this week as he continues to mourn the loss of his mother 1) 0ms;transition:background-color 150ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;transition:fill 120ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;font-size:inherit;}.css-v4v4rs{-webkit-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none;width:1em;height:1em;display:inline-block;fill:currentColor;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;-webkit-transition:fill 120ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;font-size:inherit;}@media (min-width:0px){.css-v4v4rs{display:block;}}@media (min-width:1100px){.css-v4v4rs{display:none;}}.css-mps3fk{-webkit-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none;width:1em;height:1em;display:inline-block;fill:currentColor;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;-webkit-transition:fill 120ms cubic-bezier(0.4 The 32-year-old broke a tour record with his 35-under final score to win The Sentry at Kapalua in Hawaii 18 lifted him over the top to put him past Cameron Smith's mark from 2022 "So I'm so happy that it went in." The 2021 Masters champion went eight-under 65 in three of the rounds His best day came Saturday as he recorded 11 birdies and went 11 under The win earned Matsuyama $3.6 million in prize money and 700 points in the FedEx Cup with Jon Rahm (33 under) and Matt Jones (32 under) finishing behind Smith Collin Morikawa had to settle for second place despite carding a 32-under over 72 holes and he could only chuckle at how he played so well yet still was the runner-up Potential changes to the scoring at Kapalua could ensure Matsuyama's new record lasts for a little while Golf Channel's Mark Rolfing reported tournament organizers are contemplating making The Sentry a par-72 event instead of its current par-73 standard They would do that by giving golfers only four shots to make par on the 520-yard fifth hole Matsuyama would've lost four shots under the proposed format since his four birdies on No Matsuyama made an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole at The Plantation Course at Kapalua lightly pumping his fist in about the only emotion he showed all week breaking by one the 34-under par by Cameron Smith set at Kapalua in 2022 Matsuyama set another PGA TOUR record with that final birdie his 35th hole at birdie or better for the tournament Smith in 2022 and Sungjae Im last year held the previous record It added to his 11th career title on the PGA TOUR Morikawa had to settle for second place despite not posting a round worse than 66 all week It was another scoring fest on The Plantation Course on weeks when there is little wind such as this one to start the new PGA TOUR season you need to shoot a lot of low scores to keep up here,” said Ludvig Åberg Matsuyama began with a one-shot lead over Morikawa and never trailed He began to build some separation when he holed a sand wedge from 107 yards on the third hole Hideki Matsuyama's electric 107-yard eagle hole-out is the Shot of the Day a methodical week for the 32-year-old Japanese star That put him four shots behind and he did well to stay in the game until the final few holes Morikawa birdied the 14th and 15th holes — Matsuyama missed birdie chances from 6 feet and 10 feet — to close to within two shots with three to play The Sentry is a Signature Event with a $20 million purse Matsuyama is the seventh player to win both Hawaii tournaments on the PGA TOUR schedule Justin Thomas (2017) and Ernie Els (2003) are the only players to win both in the same year Matsuyama will have a chance to join them next week in the Sony Open in Hawaii Taylor Pendrith delivered the most unlikely shot of the tournament, holing out his 6-iron from 200 yards on the par-5 fifth for the first albatross on The Plantation course since this season-opening tournament moved to Kapalua in 1999. “As soon as I hit it I knew it was going to be really good,” Pendrith said. “Didn't expect it to go in. Didn't see it go in. But the fans that were up by the green went crazy so, yeah, it was a really good bonus.” While considered the rarest shot in golf, the Canadian said it was the eighth of his career, but first in a tournament. Collin Morikawa curls in birdie putt at The Sentry Hawaii – Astonished by Hideki Matsuyama’s relentless play and disappointed in his latest close call Collin Morikawa could only resort to an expletive to describe what he’d witnessed this weekend he was matching me yesterday shot for shot Then you get to the third hole and the guy holes it I just knew I had to be on top of everything.” Morikawa shot 32-under par this week at The Sentry the opening event of the 2025 PGA TOUR season it would have been the third-lowest score in relation to par in PGA TOUR history Morikawa finished three shots ahead of the third-place finisher Matsuyama said he was “in awe” of Morikawa’s performance Collin Morikawa on new pre-shot routine at The Sentry “I didn't win. For me, it was a solid year, but it comes down to the wins, and that's what we're focused on,” Morikawa said. Those are the standards when you have the quick success that Morikawa had after turning pro. In 2019, he won in his sixth start as a professional. He won two majors, the 2020 PGA Championship and The Open Championship in 2021, over the following two seasons. But he’s won just once in the 3 1/2 years since lifting the claret jug. His sixth, and most recent, PGA TOUR victory came at the Baycurrent Classic in October of 2023. Morikawa’s runner-up this week also stings because of his ties to the tournament and the area. This is one of the tournaments that Morikawa wants to win most. He’s been close before, finishing no worse than seventh in his six appearances here. That includes a runner-up finish two years ago after he lost a seven-shot lead on the final day. His father’s side of the family grew up in nearby Lahaina and Morikawa’s grandparents owned the "Morikawa Restaurant" there. Collin visited the area, which was devastated by wildfires in 2023, as a kid and was the first TOUR player to offer his support to the area. “When you have that kind of support behind you it means a lot and it makes these weeks a little bit better,” Morikawa said Sunday. “It makes you kind of push a little bit harder. You want to play the best you can, so hopefully we'll be back next year and just find a way to shoot 36 under. It might not even be enough.” Morikawa finished in the top 10 in all four Strokes Gained stats this week, including third in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green. After finishing in the top three of that stat in each of his first four full seasons on TOUR, Morikawa dropped to a career-worst 42nd in that metric last year. Collin Morikawa sticks approach tight and birdies at The Sentry “For me, it's turn hard and hold the face,” Morikawa said. “So all of last year there were good parts, but it still didn't feel like I could just kind of throw darts, and we're slowly getting back to that, which is nice.” Morikawa also debuted a new mindset this week, one that doesn’t take solace in the plentiful opportunities that pro golf offers. A season consists of thousands of shots and dozens of weeks, each of which is a chance to win, but Morikawa said this week that he wants to put more focus on his current week. He described it as “leaving everything out there.” “It doesn't mean more aggressive, it just means you're putting all your effort into that one shot,” Morikawa said earlier this week. “We have 20 more events for the rest of the season. You can be ho-hum about it … But that's not the mindset, right? It's I'm going to focus on every shot and I'm going to put in as much as I can into every shot. You look back at the greats, they did that.” It wasn’t quite enough for Morikawa to start his year with a win. He shot 17 under on the weekend but will rue a few mistakes on the latter half of Sunday’s front nine. Morikawa was one shot behind Matsuyama at the tournament’s halfway point and after the third round. They matched each other shot for shot on a memorable Saturday, both shooting 11-under 62 to pull away from the field. Thomas Detry started Sunday alone in third, five behind Matsuyama and four back of Morikawa, and joined them in the final group. Matsuyama’s lead grew after he holed his 107-yard approach for eagle at the third hole. Morikawa made a 14-foot birdie putt to only lose one stroke to Matsuyama’s incredible approach, though. But Matsuyama’s lead grew after Morikawa’s mistakes on the fifth and sixth holes. Facing a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 fifth hole, Morikawa left it well short and missed the 5-footer for birdie. He three-putted from 56 feet on the next hole, missing another 5-footer. Morikawa almost had a third consecutive three-putt at No. 7. He made a 6-footer for par on that hole. Morikawa holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth but Matsuyama matched him with a birdie of his own. Morikawa failed to match Matsuyama’s birdie on the par-5 ninth hole, giving Matsuyama a four-shot lead entering the back nine. Morikawa made five back-nine birdies and shot 5-under 32, but only gained a shot on Matsuyama, who also went bogey-free on the back nine. “There was a good handful (of shots) that I wish I could have back,” Morikawa said. “When you don't get it done, that's where your mind goes to. I know there is a lot of positives, and it's going to take me a few hours or a day to get over it. … We’re going to go on a roll pretty soon, it's just hopefully sooner rather than later.” Hideki Matsuyama throws dart to set up birdie at WM Phoenix Open Hideki Matsuyama has already etched his name in golf folklore for standout achievements including being the first Asian to win the Masters Tournament in 2021 and registering 11 PGA TOUR victories – the most by a player from Asia the 32-year-old Japanese superstar will shoot for another slice of sporting history where he hopes to become only the fifth player to win the storied tournament three times 5 returns to the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale where he won back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017 and three other top-10s (T4/2014 He has never missed a cut in 11 starts at the par-71 venue (but withdrew after a first-round 69 in 2018 due to a wrist injury) Hideki Matsuyama reaches in two from fairway bunker and birdies at WM Phoenix Open in a field which features 29 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking “I’d definitely love to be one of the few people to have ever accomplished that,” said Matsuyama who hopes to join the likes of Arnold Palmer (1961 His two victories at TPC Scottsdale were achieved in playoffs against Rickie Fowler and Webb Simpson respectively which underscored his growing stature in the game following his maiden PGA TOUR victory at the 2014 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday “I don’t really remember too much of my wins but I do remember just having a really good feel with my putting and making a lot of putts,” said Matsuyama Matsuyama’s Presidents Cup International teammates, Tom Kim, Si Woo Kim, Sungjae Im and Byeong Hun An, are all teeing up at TPC Scottsdale as well, as with fellow Japanese Ryo Hisatsune. Into his second season on the PGA TOUR, the 22-year-old Hisatsune is looking to jumpstart his 2025 campaign after a rather subdued start — a T43 at The American Express has been his best finish to date. He missed the cut in his WM Phoenix Open debut last season. “I struggled a bit at Farmers (Insurance Open last week) and missed the cut, but I was able to get some good practice in during the weekend and I’m feeling pretty good coming here, so hopefully I can turn that into something good this week,” said Hisatsune. “The conditions were really tough last year and I barely missed the cut which was rough, but this year I feel I have some unfinished business. I’m hoping I can play well and finish strong.” All-time greatest shots from WM Phoenix Open The WM Phoenix Open returns this week to TPC Scottsdale and the Stadium Course and it’s the site of some of the biggest “horse for course” correlation on TOUR opened in 1987 and was redesigned most recently by Weiskopf before the 2015 tournament But in more recent years it has become a place where a handful of big names play well with frequency – including the top-ranked player in the world Hideki Matsuyama (+1600) became the first player since the desert fox in the mid-1970s to successfully defend the title The Japanese star debuted in 2014 with T4 and followed with T2 the next season he needed a playoff in each event to create the final separation his attempt to win three consecutive events stalled out Signing for T8 in 2022 was his last foray into the top 10 but he made the cut in all 10 events where he was healthy enough to compete 39 navigated at par or better through the cacti and desert Players listed below are competing this week;* won in playoff Justin Thomas (+1400) and his affinity for desert golf in Scottsdale has resulted in four top-10 paydays in his last six visits. The two-time major champion, playing in his 11th consecutive event, has rattled off eight straight paydays of T17 or better, including three of the last six T4 or better. He missed playing the weekend twice (2017, 2016) but has never taken home a check for worse than T17. Making his debut in 2022, Sahith Theegala (+4500) led after 36 and 54 holes before cashing T3. Last season, he led after 36 holes, played in the final group with Taylor on Sunday, and took home money for solo fifth. Making his fourth consecutive start, he played all three weekends prior (T39, 2023). Sam Burns (+2500): Missing the cut in three of his first four starts, the five-time winner on TOUR added T3 in 2024 to T6 in 2023 and T22 in 2021. All three times he cashed a check, he posted a round of 64. Jordan Spieth (+9000): In eight visits, he’s recorded five top-10 paydays, including T6 the last two years. Posting 61 in Round 3 in 2021, he cashed T4 for his best result at TPC Scottsdale. Sungjae Im (+2500): A perfect five-from-five, 17 of the 20 rounds posted from the Korean are in red figures. After cashing T7 on debut, he added T6 in the 2023 edition. Kurt Kitayama (+6500): The Las Vegas resident posted four rounds in the 60s for T8 in 2024 after T23 on debut in 2023. Daniel Berger (+12000): Injuries have muted his recent performances at TPC Scottsdale, but he cashed T11 or better in four of his first six visits. Tasty longshot. Ryan Palmer (+100000): Playing on a one-time career earnings exemption this season, the Texan has twice cashed second and has played the weekend in his last two visits. KAPALUA, Hawaii -- Collin Morikawa has played Kapalua enough to know that trailing Hideki Matsuyama by seven shots early in the second round was no reason to panic he nearly caught up to the Japanese star Friday at The Sentry Matsuyama played bogey-free on another gorgeous day on Maui with moderate wind making seven birdies in a 10-hole stretch in the middle of his round and posting an 8-under 65 for a one-shot lead going into the weekend of the PGA Tour season opener Morikawa ran off five straight birdies in the scoring stretch late -- only one of them longer than 5 feet -- until his streak ended on the par-5 closing hole at the Plantation course with a 12-foot birdie putt that missed on the high side He also had a 65 and was expecting more of the same on the weekend and The Sentry has the best players from the PGA Tour last year I'm through six holes and I'm even par and guys are lapping the field already," Morikawa said it's not telling myself I've got to be patient and I know at any point you can go on a little stretch of birdies It was the eighth time Morikawa had 65 or better at Kapalua the most of any player since 2020 when the two-time major champion made his debut breaking into a big smile when he holed a 35-foot birdie putt across the green on the par-3 11th He was at 16-under 130 with a pack of players lining up behind him "I'm definitely satisfied with where I am," Matsuyama said Ten players were separated by three shots going into the weekend of the tournament that invites only PGA Tour winners from 2024 and the top 50 from the FedEx Cup Corey Conners of Canada and Thomas Detry of Belgium were among those at 14-under 132 thanks to big finishes of their own Conners holed a 40-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th followed with two medium-range birdie putts and two-putted from the front of the green on the 18th for another birdie and a 66 He drove the green on the 306-yard 14th hole to 10 feet for eagle and had to settle for par on the 18th for a 65 The field averaged 68.1, which was skewed slightly by Davis Riley posting the first 80 of the season a tough two-putt par and then took a 9 on the 17th hole with a lost ball to the right on one tee shot and a second tee shot into the left hazard The margin of those misses was about the length of a football field it was a case of taking aim at spots on the contoured greens that feed to the hole and cashing in with birdies Sepp Straka birdied every hole on the back nine until he hit what he considered his best shot Eight players shot 64, a group that included Davis Thompson, who was 14 shots better than his first round of the year. Patrick Cantlay was 10 shots better with his 64 who still was eight shots behind Matsuyama Among the group three shots behind was former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark Clark made the argument the low scoring was a product of the players we make courses like this look easy," Clark said so you're going to have a lot of birdie looks and sometimes eagle looks "I've never really shot 20 under on the PGA Tour Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley also had a 64 marked by an eagle on the final hole and his two sons racing onto the fairway as he walked to the 18th green Bradley has not ruled out playing in the Ryder Cup "So if we get to July and it's looking like that but for now I'm just going to keep playing my best." There is always plenty of equipment news at The Sentry as players debut new gear for the new year Hideki Matsuyama was among those with new clubs in the bag using a brand-new Scotty Cameron prototype in his record-setting victory at The Sentry This was the first week that Matsuyama used the new center-shafted blade putter He received it shortly after Christmas after seeing it someone else’s bag and liking the way it looked Matsuyama ranked third in Strokes Gained: Putting en route to a three-shot win at The Sentry His 35-under 257 total set a PGA TOUR record for low 72-hole score in relation to par “I used the putter for the first time here,” Matsuyama said in his winner’s press conference Matsuyama didn’t elaborate on who he first saw using the putter saying it was "just somebody that nobody knows." The Sentry was his 11th win on TOUR and follows a successful 2024 where he won both a Signature Event (The Genesis Invitational) and FedExCup Playoffs event (FedEx St “I saw somebody else using it and I thought and I'm using it this week,” said Matsuyama It was one of four putters Matsuyama took to Maui but it earned a spot in the bag come gametime Matsuyama made a bigger change this week in Maui swapping to a center-shafted Scotty Cameron 009 M Tour Prototype A look at Hideki Matsuyama's center-shafted Scotty Cameron 009 M Tour Prototype After a less-than-stellar season on the greens in 2024 Mastuayama ended The Sentry with 5.42 strokes gained on the greens He made close to 400 feet worth of putts and one-putted 35 times It’s not the first time Matsuyama has played a center-shafted putter but it’s certainly been a while since he’s had one in the bag the Japanese star has used a Scotty Cameron Kombi S mallet with a center shaft Matsuyama teed it up with a new Srixon Z-STAR XV9 golf ball The ninth generation of Srixon's premiere ball has yet to be released Center-shafted putters have made a return on the PGA TOUR with companies looking to create zero-torque putters Callaway and Bettinardi all released new face-balanced designs towards the end of 2024 Centering the shaft helps evenly balance the weight across the face and make alignment easier Although claiming victory this week in Hawaii to start the season, Matsuyama can be famously fickle with his putters. We will be watching to see how long this one lasts in the bag. Check out Matsuyama’s full bag setup below: Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5 degrees)Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX 5-wood: Cobra King RadSpeed Tour (17.5 degrees @19)Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 10 TX Irons: Srixon Z-Forged II (4-9)Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (4-PW) Wedges: Cleveland RTX 4 Forged Prototype (48, 52, 56)Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 Putter: Scotty Cameron 009M Center Shaft Tour Prototype Paris Olympic bronze medalists Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama claimed the women's doubles title Sunday at the All England Open Badminton Championships in an all-Japanese final against Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto who were champions in 2022 and runners-up last year 21-17 in a tense 83-minute battle at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham we talk about wanting to win this tournament," Shida said "We were disappointed to finish as runners-up last year Matsuyama said going up against veteran compatriots Fukushima and Matsumoto added a special dimension to the final "We were really happy that we were able to play the final with our seniors," she said Badminton: Two-time world doubles champions taking different paths Badminton: Two-time world champion Momota to retire next February KAPALUA, Hawaii – Hideki Matsuyama has won the Masters and is the all-time winningest Asian male golfer on the PGA Tour with 10 titles. He’s also, as the saying goes, “one of us.” Asked to explain his putter switch for the first round of The Sentry on Thursday the Tour’s season-opening tournament at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course Simple as that and sounds a lot like why the average golfer makes a pit stop at the golf shop to get a new blade or mallet before his next round Matsuyama’s new Scotty Cameron center-shafted blade putter worked wonders during the opening round in Maui as he made an eagle seven birdies and one lone bogey to post an 8-under 65 That was good enough for the Japanese star to be tied for second place and to trail leader Tom Hoge by a shot 2024: My Year in Gear carded four consecutive birdies starting at the fifth hole and tacked on another birdie at the 11th with a 10-foot birdie at 14 and then reeled in an eagle at the par-5 15th when his second shot stopped 6 feet from the hole One more circle on the card at 16 and he matched his lowest career round in 29 trips around the Plantation Course “I didn’t think I would shoot as low as I did today so I’d love to do the same thing tomorrow and post another good score I think it was a pretty good round,” said Matsuyama who is attempting to complete the Hawaii slam having already won the Sony Open in Hawaii in 2022 Switching putters is old hat for Matsuyama He also rode a new putter to victory the last time he won on Tour at the FedEx St the putter carousel continues this week at Kapalua and is just another reminder that pros aren’t that different from the rest of us He sent his lob wedge over the pin and used a combination of spin and slope for the shot to roll past Morikawa's ball and stop 8 inches away It was like that all day Saturday at the Sentry Matsuyama had a personal best with 11 birdies in his bogey-free round of 62 setting the Plantation course record for 54 holes at 27-under 192 All that got him was a one-shot lead over Morikawa who matched his 62 and just about everything else Matsuyama did on another day of virtually no wind and ridiculously low scoring in the PGA Tour opener "Collin played well and I just kind of followed him a Japanese star of few words and plenty of birdies Morikawa played so well at the start that it wasn't until the sixth hole that he hit a shot he didn't like a wedge to 25 feet and a birdie chance that rimmed around the cup but for the most part the irons were center face knew where they were going," Morikawa said He briefly took the lead on the front nine by starting 5 under in five holes including a 25-foot eagle putt on the fifth hole during a display of sublime shotmaking Matsuyama caught him on the next hole and they were tight the rest of the way The low scoring was reminiscent of 2022, when Cameron Smith set the tournament record -- and PGA Tour record to par -- at 34-under 258 The conditions were abnormally calm that year There was barely any wind on the western edge of Maui and the Plantation course was built for fierce wind out of any direction This became target practice for the world's best players particularly on a course with the widest fairways on the PGA Tour another record since this tournament moved to Kapalua in 1999 but didn't really feel like I shot 8 under," he said "Other courses when you shoot 8 under you really fell like I played unreal golf here.' I just felt like I played some really steady golf." Matsuyama and Morikawa kept piling up birdies and pulling away What separated them was the reachable par-4 14th where Matsuyama chipped to 3 feet for birdie and Morikawa drove into a bunker blasted out to 10 feet and missed the birdie putt Such a high level of golf brought importance to every shot and with another player at his side in the same place "but I would like for him to take it easy tomorrow." Morikawa has worked on his swing during the offseason and the bigger work might have been on his attitude He wants to pour everything into every shot but that's what I'm going into this year is saying He had a six-shot lead two years ago until closing with a 72 and finishing behind Rahm He played in the final group three times at big events last year -- one behind Scottie Scheffler at the Masters, tied with Xander Schauffele at the PGA Championship and four shots behind Scheffler at the Memorial. Now he's trying to track down Matsuyama, who is going for his third win in the past 10 months. That goes back to Morikawa's focus, and it reminded him of when he first turned pro in 2019. "I had seven opportunities for sponsor exemptions, didn't know if I was going to get my card or not, and you're going to put everything out there because you have that goal," Morikawa said. "Well, I'm going to put everything out there tomorrow because I have the goal to win." This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page One tournament isn’t a trend but it can remind us that a trend can end with one tournament Last year opened and closed with longshot winners at The Sentry and the Grant Thornton Invitational That line is long in the biggest of fields but it was outrageous with only 59 in play The year concluded with Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit joining forces to win the Grant Thornton Invitational. Their odds of +3300 in the field of just 16 teams was second-longest Despite everything that happened in between not the least of which Scottie Scheffler winning nine times – all as the tournament favorite – there was balance overall Things usually settle near the mean in the long term but if 2025 plays out like the season opener on Maui this time then we’re in for a humdinger of an experience Hideki Matsuyama established the tournament record of 35-under 257 It’s also the lowest score in relation to par in PGA TOUR history Hideki Matsuyama's interview after winning The Sentry Matsuyama connected for his first title at Kapalua in his eighth appearance The seeds were sown with respective results of T3 but he hadn’t recorded a top 10 in his first four tries on the renovation (2020-present) That was tied for fifth-shortest in this year’s field of 59 (Davis Riley withdrew during the final round.) Scottie Scheffler would have been the shortest if he hadn’t withdrawn due to an injured right hand Xander Schauffele was shortest at +500 and settled for a share of 30th place Collin Morikawa “fulfilled” his position as second-shortest (at +1000) with a runner-up finish checking up three swings back of Matsuyama It’s Morikawa’s second second-place finish to go along with two T5s and a pair of T7s in the tournament Justin Thomas shared the same odds with Morikawa and finished T26 Defending champion Chris Kirk (+7000) placed T44 Matsuyama now sits atop both the FedExCup standings with 700 points and the money list with $3.6 million NOTE: Points and Payouts cites pre-tournament odds to win at FanDuel for all golfers who made the cut. For live odds, visit FanDuel. Hideki Matsuyama is a winner at The Sentry The Japanese superstar picked up his 11th PGA Tour victory Sunday shooting 8-under 65 to top Collin Morikawa by three shots and become the 12th golfer to win both PGA Tour events in Hawaii setting a new PGA Tour record for lowest score in relation to par Matsuyama also tied the record for most birdies or better (35) in a single PGA Tour event Here's a recap of all the action in the final round Keep tabs on the live scoring with this leaderboard at The Sentry Matsuyama is a hole away form his 11th PGA Tour victory He will also become the 12th golfer to win both PGA Tour events in Hawaii Matsuyama nearly dunks it againAs he did on the third hole Hideki Matsuyama nearly dunked his approach shot on the par-4 16th hole instead rolling out to a couple feet for an easy tap-in birdie The putt tied Matsuyama for the most made birdies or better (34) in a single PGA Tour event ever and he found the green but wasn't able to make his birdie giving Matsuyama a three-shot lead with two to play Collin Morikawa closing gapMorikawa hit his approach onto the green on the par-5 15th he added another birdie to get to 31 under leaving himself a tester for birdie after the pitch shot Morikawa is only two back with three to play Will Zalatoris and Cam Davis were both penalized for playing the wrong golf balls on the par-5 15th hole. It was a two-shot penalty Matsuyama wasn't able to birdie the short par-4 13th Morikawa got up-and-down from the greenside bunker to get his birdie and get one closer and he's back to four shots in front with six to play but Matsuyama has a decisive advantage and is playing (and putting) stellar Davis Riley withdraws during final roundDavis Riley withdrew during the final round of The Sentry He was in last place at the time of his WD pulling out after having five bogeys and four birdies in his opening nine holes Matsuyama's switch to a new putter this week is paying off He buries another long birdie putt to get to 32 under two away from tying The Sentry scoring record Collin Morikawa gets closer at The SentryCan Collin Morikawa put his putting woes behind him A strong birdie putt at the par-4 10th was needed Matsuyama's lead is now only three with eight to play The lead is back to four with nine holes to go Hideki Matsuyama bounced back with a birdie at the eighth the lead remains three as Collin Morikawa matched him Hideki Matsuyama makes bogey, lead shrinksHideki Matsuyama missed right of the seventh green Back to 29 under and a three-shot lead over Morikawa It has been a rough day for Collin on the greens he misses the 6-footer for par on the sixth and makes bogey Hideki's lead grows to four with 12 holes to play He gets up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 fifth Collin Morikawa three putts from 25 feet and can manage only a par Hideki Matsuyama holed out for eagle on the par-4 third hole to increase his lead to two shots Morikawa made birdie on the hole but lost ground Taylor Pendrith makes an albatrossNever too early in the season for an albatross. That's what Taylor Pendrith did Sunday when he holed out from 203 yards on the par-5 fifth While Hideki Matsuyama and Collin Morikawa have opened with a pair of pars on their first two holes Austin Eckroat is 5 under thru seven and sitting at 20 under for the tournament a credit to how the leaders have played thus far Hideki Matsuyama and Collin Morikawa are on the course for the final round Matsuyama's tee shot traveled 365 yards while Morikawa's went 309 Only two golfers have hit more greens through 54 holes than Collin Morikawa has at The Sentry The Sentry TV, streaming infoSunday's live streaming coverage of The Sentry starts on ESPN+ at 1 p.m NBC's live TV coverage starts at 4 p.m. ET and goes till 6 p.m. ET, then the action switches over to Golf Channel for the final two hours of the day the NBC sports app will have live streaming from 4 p.m the Kapalua's Plantation Course is hosting the tournament Originally started as a winner's only event the field was expanded in 2023 to also include the top 50 in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup standings from the year prior There were 65 players eligible but the field as 59 when action started on Thursday Kapalua's Plantation Course is a par-73 layout measuring 7,596 yards. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw were the architects, and it was the first course the now-legendary duo built together. It was restored in 2019. See the yardage book from PuttView here. The Sentry prize money payoutsThe signature event has a $20 million purse and a $3.5 million prize going to the winner. The top three finishers will clear a million bucks. Here's the breakdown for 2025: Collin Morikawa nearly holes out for eagle the top two players at The Sentry just rolled in another birdie or five Hideki Matsuyama and Collin Morikawa put on a clinic Saturday at The Plantation Course at Kapalua firing matching rounds of 11-under 62 amid calm conditions in Maui With the course’s main (breezy) defense rendered non-existent it was a banner day for low scores: Sungjae Im tied the course record on the par-73 layout while Max Greyserman and Christiaan Bezuidenhout both shot rounds of 10-under 63 But it’s Matsuyama and Morikawa who have distanced from the pack playing together in the day’s final group and combining for 20 birdies and an eagle without dropping a shot While there were moments where it seemed Detry and Im would both get within reach of the two leaders, it’s now shaping up as a two-man race in the eyes of oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook who give the former Masters champ a slight edge: Updated odds to win The Sentry (via FanDuel Sportsbook) Outside of those four, only Harry Hall (+30000) is listed shorter than 500-to-1 entering the final round. So even amid a limited, 59-man field, the outright options have thinned considerably from the start of the week. But what about the top two? It’s hard to fault either Matsuyama or Morikawa after a performance that tied the course record. Morikawa famously coughed this title up two years ago down the stretch, so there’s some undeniable scar tissue, but he has also finished inside the top 10 every time he has teed it up in Maui. This year will certainly extend that streak. Hideki Matsuyama fades ball in tight to set up birdie at The Sentry Morikawa is also on a ball-striking mission, having hit 52 of 54 greens in regulation. On the largest putting surfaces on TOUR that’s hardly the entire mission, but Morikawa has generally been on autopilot while trying to keep pace with Matsuyama. The Japanese phenom, on the other hand, got away with a few wayward swings down the stretch – none more notable than the par-4 17th, when Matsuyama lost his drive way to the right only to be bailed out by a fortunate bounce near the cart path. What could have been a bogey (or worse) instead became a birdie opportunity and a tap-in par. He also hit a poor drive on the home hole, only to set up another birdie with a heroic 3-wood from 305 yards out that got to the greenside fringe. Matsuyama isn’t exactly hacking it: He leads the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and SG: Approach. But Morikawa has been hitting it tighter, pacing the field in Proximity including a sterling average of 17 feet, 4 inches on Saturday. Regardless of the name on the trophy, the winning score should exceed 30-under given the expectation of more calm conditions. Neither winner would come as a shock, but I feel like Morikawa (+130) has been a little tighter on the ball-striking front and has more to prove after letting this one slip away in 2023. It’s hard for me to lay a -150 price in this sort of matchup, where the combatants are largely on equal footing (although Matsuyama starts one shot ahead). In a showdown that could go down to the wire, I’ll take the major champ with the plus-money price and take my chances. Other finishing position bets to consider: Will Zalatoris (+330) Top-five finish: Willy Z fired his second round of 65 this week, and he clearly has the long putter working in Hawaii. He’s starting the final round T6 at 19 under but I think this is a great price for him to crack the top five by day’s end. Ludvig Åberg (+550) Top-10 finish: The Swede finally woke up on the greens Saturday, carding a bogey-free 65. He also tightened up the approach game after some wobbly irons in the second round, and he’ll start the day T21 and four shots outside the top 10. Still, this could be like The RSM Classic where Åberg starts slow and makes a late creep up the leaderboard. Hideki Matsuyama walks in eagle putt to finish his round at Sony Open The West Coast Swing continues as the PGA TOUR shifts from the desert of La Quinta to the coast of La Jolla in Southern California for the Farmers Insurance Open. As it has since 2022, the tournament at Torrey Pines Golf Course will play host Wednesday through Saturday. Max Greyserman's unreal 156-yard eagle hole-out is the Shot of the Day Fully recovered from back surgery and possessing 20 extra pounds of muscle, Will Zalatoris (+2500) returns to the site of his professional debut in 2018. Although he missed the cut in his first opportunity, he has cashed second, T7 and T13 in three of the last four seasons. Lightly raced in fall 2024, his proficiency tee to green is rounding back into shape quickly. He missed only nine greens at Kapalua and cashed T26 and just 17 across three courses last week at The American Express (T12). Defending champion Matthieu Pavon (+12000) was one of three European debutants inside the top 10 in 2024 and continued the recent tradition of winners being age 30 or older to seven straight events. Claiming his first victory on TOUR in just his third start with a TOUR card, the Frenchman will add the pretournament duties as reigning champion upon return. His next top-25 finish will be his first in a Full-Field Event since last June. The American Express champion Sepp Straka is not playing this week, but other finishers in the top 10 from last week include: Justin Lower (T3, +11000), San Diego native Charley Hoffman (T5, +8000), Ben Griffin (T7, +5500), Taylor Moore (T7, +11000) and Camilo Villegas (T7, +100000). Past champions teeing it up include 2023 winner Max Homa (+3500), 2022 winner Luke List (+20000) and 2019 winner Justin Rose (+7000). Here's a look at notable odds for the rest of the field via FanDuel, with play set to begin Wednesday morning: While fans at the WM Phoenix Open raced after Scottie Scheffler for autographs and jeered from the stands at the 16th hole Thursday Hideki Matsuyama honed his stroke in a quiet corner of the practice range It was fitting that the rare moment of peace at the PGA Tour’s rowdiest event surrounded the always-reserved Matsuyama he has the chance to whip the crowd into a frenzy by winning the Phoenix Open for a third time “The People’s Open” doesn’t seem like the ideal environment for Matsuyama whose shyness and placid comportment contrast with the raucous atmosphere here Yet he won at TPC Scottsdale in 2016 and 2017 outlasting his opponents in a four-hole playoff both times “I love the atmosphere and energy here in Phoenix,” Matsuyama said after finishing his first round at 1-under 70 Matsuyama’s tranquility is about as well-known as the trademark pause at the top of his backswing The PGA Tour had fun with his demeanor in a 2021 video that featured him teaching Japanese to Tiger Woods which extends to our surroundings and equipment,” said Matsuyama before cutting to clips of other players tossing their clubs away in frustration During his Tuesday session on the driving range he talked with no one but his support staff While other golfers on the range chatted with caddies or talked with reporters that coolness has served him well throughout his career "There's nothing like it in golf," Matsuyama said of the Phoenix Open after his 2017 win "Playing in front of the number of fans and gallery this past week I just try to have fun with it and at the same time Matsuyama's career took an unexpected pause after he reached No 2 in the world after three victories in 2017 forcing him to withdraw from multiple tournaments He didn’t win a single tournament between August 2017 and April 2021 when he became the first Japanese-born golfer to win the Masters and he has won at least one tournament each year since including a tour-record 35-under-par victory at The Sentry in January "Hideki Matsuyama is a superstar, so every Japanese player wants to catch up to Hideki," said fellow tour pro Keita Nakajima in a 2024 interview While he’s followed that win in Hawaii with ho-hum finishes at the next three tour stops his excellent approach shooting (96th percentile according to stats website Data Golf) should serve him well this weekend “You gotta go low here (at TPC Scottsdale),” PGA pro Billy Horschel said during Tuesday’s practice “(A) 19-under is usually the average winning score Matsuyama finds himself out of the spotlight this year He has finished no better than a tie for eighth place at TPC Scottsdale since his 2017 victory and a 1-under first round left him five shots off the lead Matsuyama will have to be sharp to add his name to the list of three-time WM Phoenix Open winners victory is the furthest thing from his mind “Winning for the third time at one of my favorite events on the PGA Tour would be very special,” he said “All I am really thinking about is my next shot.” Christopher Pennant is a graduate student at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism Hawaii – After birdieing half the holes at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course on Saturday along with an eagle for an 11-under 62 The 32-year-old Japanese star also declined to speak separately to the Japanese media a dedicated crew that follows his every shot and hangs on his every word And this was – we repeat – after a bogey-free 62 that set a tournament 54-hole scoring mark and equaled the Tour record too he was matching me (Saturday) shot for shot who had matched Matsuyama shot for shot and didn’t bother to hit another ball at the range is his own toughest critic and he high-tailed it to the range to iron out the flaws he perceived in his game What could he possibly need to do at the range is a head scratcher but Matsuyama said he needed to fix his driver and we'll take his word because it worked and very few can match Matsuyama’s grit and determination to scrape every ounce of brilliance out of his game All the hard work paid off on Sunday when Matsuyama took dead aim at the par-4 fourth hole and two-hopped a wedge from 107 yards into the hole for an eagle The mercurial Matsuyama, who has a well-earned reputation for hanging his head or dropping a hand off his club in disgust, only for the shot in question to be a thing of beauty, stared down his approach at the fourth and knocked knuckles with his caddie when it dropped. He closed in 8-under 65 to win The Sentry the season-opening tournament on the PGA Tour by three shots over Morikawa and notch his third victory in a signature event in the last 10 months who shot a final-round 67 despite his putter cooling off reached the par-5 15th in two and made birdie to trim his deficit to two but once Matsuyama wedged inside 4 feet at 16 to stretch the lead to three Morikawa sensed that he wasn’t going to catch Matsuyama He settled for his second runner-up at The Sentry in the last three years “Excuse my language, but 35-under par is, that's low,” said Morikawa, dropping an F-bomb for emphasis Matsuyama closed in style with an 8-foot birdie putt to set the all-time 72-hole scoring record in relation to par with a total of 35-under 257 so I'm so happy that it went in,” Matsuyama said Matsuyama previously won the Sony Open in Hawaii in 2022, and his Sentry title made him the seventh player to win the Hawaiian Slam. To earn the 11th Tour victory of his career, Matsuyama’s game fired on all cylinders. He ranked first in Stroke Gained: Tee to green, second in SG: Approach the green and third in scrambling and SG: Putting. Matsuyama, who loves to tinker with putters and said he traveled to Maui with four different options, inserted a Scotty Cameron 009M CS prototype putter that he’d seen another player use and received shortly after Christmas into the bag for the first time this week. “I thought, ‘Oh, this looks good,’ so I had them make one,” he explained of the putter change on Thursday. His putter delivered on Sunday. After Morikawa hit a beauty to 10 feet at the par-3 11th green, Matsuyama poured in a 31-foot birdie putt and one hole later he rolled in a 21-foot birdie putt to build his lead to four. He even waved to the crowd in delight.  “When the heat is on, he’s nails,” said Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee. Hawaii — Hideki Matsuyama and Collin Morikawa put on a stripe show Saturday at Kapalua each of them posting an 11-under 62 at vulnerable Kapalua that threatened to turn The Sentry into a two-man show in the PGA Tour opener Matsuyama had a shot at tying the course record with a long eagle attempt from just short of the 18th green He took two putts for birdie to maintain the one-shot lead he had over Morikawa at the start of the day Morikawa holed a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-5 closing hole for his 62 The 11 birdies for Matsuyama are the most he has made in a round on the PGA Tour a 54-hole record on the Plantation course at Kapalua when Cameron Smith set the tournament record — and PGA Tour record to par — at 34-under 258 This became target practice for the world’s best player Smith and Jon Rahm were tied for the lead five shots clear of everyone else but didn’t really feel like I shot 8 under,” he said “Other courses when you shoot 8 under you really fell like I played unreal golf here.’ I just felt like I played some really steady golf.” Morikawa hit wedge that settled 20 inches from the cup Matsuyama followed with a wedge that landed toward the back of the green with just enough spin to ride the grain and slope to 8 inches away A Division of NBCUniversal DISCLAIMER: This site and the products offered are for entertainment purposes only and there is no gambling offered on this site This service is intended for adult audiences No guarantees are made for any specific outcome ranking third at The Sentry in Strokes Gained: Putting where he ranked 121st on TOUR in that statistic Matsuyama historically goes as his putter goes and if his performance on the greens at Kapalua is any indication for the season ahead and I'm not going to say it right here but there (is) unfinished business that I have set for myself that I still am striving to get to,” Matsuyama said in his winner’s press conference Opening Drive is a two-week kick-off to the TOUR’s schedule showcasing an elite field on a historic venue with a creative design and scenic views one of the TOUR’s longest-tenured host venues The winner in Honolulu will take home 500 FedExCup points new world.’ Tiger Woods relives best moments in career at PGA TOUR Studios 2 – It didn’t take long for the first albatross of the 2025 PGA TOUR season: Taylor Pendrith holed his second shot at The Plantation Course at Kapalua’s par-5 fifth hole in The Sentry’s final round knocking in a 6-iron from 203 yards for a “2.” The fields for the Tour’s first two events which also include The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club were recently expanded from 132 to 144 competitors 45 – Cameron Kuchar, the teenage son of TOUR pro Matt Kuchar, is one of 45 players advancing to the final qualifier Monday for the Sony Open in Hawaii. The elder Kuchar, who’s set to make his 20th start at Honolulu this week, won the Sony Open in 2019. and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission.