Hideki Matsuyama won the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first leg of the PGA Tour’s season-ending playoffs, despite a shaky back nine. He started the final round with a five-stroke lead, but faltered on the 12th through 15th holes. However, clutch birdies on 17 and 18 secured his victory over Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland.
Hideki Matsuyama, a top golfer in the PGA Tour, will begin the lucrative postseason without his caddie and coach after they were robbed in London during a stopover from the Paris Olympics. While Matsuyama’s wallet was stolen, his Olympic bronze medal and passport were safe. However, his caddie and coach lost their passports and visas, forcing them to return to Japan and work on expedited replacements. Despite this setback, Matsuyama is determined to compete, with a temporary replacement caddie for the initial playoff events.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama took an early lead in the men’s Olympic golf tournament with a bogey-free opening round, but defending champion Xander Schauffele of the United States was hot on his heels. The first day of competition at Le Golf National, southwest of Paris, was marked by a lively crowd cheering on the home players, Victor Perez and Matthieu Pavon. The weather played a role, with warm sunshine giving way to unsettled conditions that led to two lightning-related delays. Matsuyama’s eight-under-par 63 put him two ahead of Schauffele, who credited a strong finish after a shaky start. Tied for third place at five under were Joaquin Niemann of Chile, Emiliano Grillo of Argentina, and Tom Kim of South Korea.
