Hideki Matsuyama emerged victorious at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the opening leg of the PGA Tour’s season-ending playoffs, overcoming a turbulent back nine to secure the title.
Matsuyama, the bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics, entered Sunday’s final round with a commanding five-stroke lead, the largest 54-hole advantage of his career. However, his lead began to evaporate as he faltered down the stretch. After a strong start on the front nine, he encountered a rough patch from the 12th to 15th holes, dropping shots with a bogey-par-bogey-double bogey sequence. This allowed Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland to close the gap and briefly surpass him.
But Matsuyama, a seasoned competitor, displayed remarkable resilience. He sank a crucial 26-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole, followed by a 6-footer on the challenging 18th to secure his victory. Schauffele, who birdied four of the first six holes and played a bogey-free round, almost chipped in from 75 feet on the 18th to put more pressure on Matsuyama.
This win marks Matsuyama’s 10th PGA Tour title, a remarkable achievement considering he entered the tournament without his usual caddie and coach, who were victims of a pre-tournament robbery in London and forced to return to Japan. Despite the setback, Matsuyama persevered, relying on a substitute caddie.
The victory also extended Matsuyama’s impressive streak at Southwind, where he had recorded 13 consecutive rounds of par or better.
Schauffele finished second, two strokes behind Matsuyama, and Viktor Hovland took third. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler finished fourth at 14-under.
The top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings advance to the next round, the BMW Championship at Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado. The Tour Championship, the final stage of the playoffs, will be held at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta during Labor Day weekend. Those who finish in the top 50 also secure eligibility for the eight PGA Tour signature events in 2025.
