Golf

2024 FedEx St Jude Championship: Hideki Matsuyama is First Asian Golfer to Win PGA Tour Playoffs Event

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Aug 21, 2024 / 1312 Views

Evan Walker

Right after the Paris Olympics to the culmination of the PGA Tour’s FedEx St Jude Championship last week, Hideki Matsuyama went through strife. But as champions often do, he converted adversity into triumph at TPC Southwind on Sunday, August 18.

There were numerous moments of uncertainty as Japan’s Olympic bronze medallist approached the first of the three events of the FedExCup Playoffs unsure of what lay ahead.

The support staff is critical to a player’s performance at this elite level, and Matsuyama didn’t have that comfort in his corner as regular caddie Shota Hayafuji and coach Mikihito Kuromiya had to return home to sort out their Travel documents after their pasSports got stolen during transit in London. With stand-in caddie, Taiga Tabuchi, Matsuyama did well in the quest to become the first Asian Golfer to win a Playoffs event.

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It seemed Matsuyama’s troubles had ended with tee-off as he went from strength to strength to build a formidable five-shot lead going into the final day. Well into Sunday, the flow of events pointed towards Matsuyama’s second win of the season, after the Genesis Invitational, but in the space of an hour, the meltdown over four holes on the back nine led Matsuyama to surrender the lead, and left him in a spot far more bothersome from the London episode.

2024 FedEx St Jude Championship: Hideki Matsuyama and his remarkable victory

Dramatic turnaround

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Staring at heavy odds on a possible comeback, Hideki Matsuyama had to chart his destiny over the toughest stretch at TPC Southwind. The sinking feeling of “victory slipping away at that point” playing out loudly, and the prospect of finishing behind the men in chase, Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland, Matsuyama quashed the negativity by stepping up.

Making birdie on the 17th from 26 feet restored his lead by one, and the short putt for another birdie on the final 18th, again a challenging layout, announced his coronation as Asia’s most celebrated name on the PGA Tour with the two-shot win at 17-under 263 (65, 64, 64, 70).

What seemed like a pointless and irritating blip in London had shaped his 10th win on Tour. Matsuyama was in affirmation. “Because of that, I won today.”

Change is the flavour

The new caddie on the bag wasn’t the only change in the Matsuyama camp which paid rich dividends. The routine with Tabuchi worked in a way that Matsuyama could say, “he was a great help to me”; changing putters was another factor that facilitated the high.

Matsuyama went into Memphis with the urge of a change in pace on the greens. Among the putters he carries on Tour is one he had got from the manufacturers last year, but hadn’t tested it under the pressure of a tournament.

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Practising with it in the buildup to the week made him understand that the greens of TPC Southwind were cut out for his Scotty Cameron putters. “I needed a refresh with my putter. I thought about the putters I had, and because I knew this course and condition of the greens, I thought this putter might work, and it did.”

Matsuyama heads into this week’s 50-man field BMW Championship with momentum on the greens as a big plus, but is unsure whether the victorious putter will be put to use again. “I putted great, and won. But whether or not I’ll use it at Castle Pines, we’ll see as I’ve never played the golf course.”

Season of resurgence

With the bumper 2000 FedEx Cup points that go with the USD 3.6 million top cheque in the USD 20 million Playoffs event, Matsuyama became the sixth player to win more than once this season.

But more than the two wins and Paris bronze, 2024 has been about Matsuyama’s return to playing the level of Golf he is known for.

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Injuries and the resultant poor form through last season set him back, and turned it into a test of the 32-year-old’s resolve to get back on track.

Matsuyama succeeded in the task with the two wins and six top-10s thus far in 2024, and winning a Playoffs event also ends a decade-long quest. “I’ve tried hard for 10 years, and it’s a great feeling of satisfaction to finally be able to have done it,” said the champion, who heads to the BMW Championship ranked No 3 on the FedExCup, and looks set to better his showing in 2017 when he finished 8th.

Part of learning curve

Nick Dunlap’s rookie season was in for more glitter, but Sunday unfolded in a way that left him “feeling like a train wreck”.

Already a winner twice this season (American Express and Barracuda Championship), Dunlap was in line for more silverware as he started the final round behind Matsuyama in second place. The pressures of Sunday are known to break even seasoned players, and Dunlap is just starting out in his pro career.

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After rounds of 67, 65, 66, Dunlap just about managed to break par with a 69, and the roller coaster shook him to the core. Hovering on the cutline of the BMW Championship, the topsy-turvy back nine started to dent his chances, and the closing stretch was battling nerves while going about doing what was required.

“I’m not going to lie, I was arguably the most nervous I’ve ever been, to be honest… I just didn’t want the season to end. I’ve been having so much fun,” he said.

It was down to the 18th hole and par would have ensured Dunlap one more chance in his maiden Playoffs appearance. After sinking the putt, the first thing on mind was had he done enough? He had, and the T5 at 13-under 267 placed him 48th in the 50-man field of the BMW Championship.

Heroic display

Denny McCarthy will have to wait for that winning moment on the PGA Tour, but turning out this week and performing in discomfort will be an immense source of strength.

Professional for almost a decade, the 31-year-old shot a 7-under 63 on Day 2 to tie for the 36-hole lead with Matsuyama, and a win on Sunday would have made him just the third player in Tour History to post a maiden win in the Playoffs.

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McCarthy came into the Playoffs 45th in the FedExCup Rankings, and needed a strong finish to cement his berth going forward.

While the playoff loss at the Valero Texas Open and top-10s at the Wells Fargo Championship and John Deere Classic are weeks that have his season some momentum, a torn labrum in the left hip left him fighting an additional battle with pain.

The condition will require surgery in the off-season, but McCarthy was in no mood to present his state as an excuse to not keep fighting and contending.

Keeping the mind off the discomfort and focusing on one shot at a time, he gave himself more than a reason to smile with the T9 finish.

Men in pursuit

Like Hideki Matsuyama, Xander Schauffele has been basking in the glow of a comeback season.

Coping with a title drought since 2022 mainly on account of not making it count at the Business end, Schauffele went past the string of top-5s and tag of “nearly man” with wins in two of the season’s four Majors — the PGA Championship and The Open.

The opportunity was there for the taking on Sunday, but Matsuyama’s class act towards close denied Schauffele despite shooting a 63. Tied for second with Viktor Hovland, the 2023 FedExCup champion, Schauffele took heart.

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“To me, Memphis has got the best of me a lot of times. I’m happy I was able to overcome some demons on this property and shoot a nice number here,” he said while revealing that he started the day with a card of 61 in mind.

For one who lit the 2023 Playoffs with consecutive wins at the BMW Championship and finale Tour Championship, there couldn’t have been a stage better to announce a return to form.

The sole third at the PGA Championship the lone high point this year, Hovland will take heart from the way he overcame the slow start to infuse spark to his run here.

At 15-under 265, the Norwegian has seen his best result since the win at the Tour Championship, and lifts him from No. 57 to 16 in the FedExCup.

(Main and featured images: FedEx St Jude Championship/ Instagram)