Putting for Dollars

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

When he woke up Sunday morning Hideki Matsuyama had no thoughts of leaving Pacific Palisades $4 million richer. He was tied for seventh place with two other players at the Genesis Invitational, six shots behind leader Patrick Cantlay, and his odds to win according to ESPN BET were 125-1. Nor did he feel confident in his swing, especially after hitting his opening tee shot into the right rough. However, he recovered to post a four at the par five first hole and proceeded to deliver one of the finest displays of golf ever seen at Riviera Country Club.

On three separate occasions, the 31-year-old from the island of Shikoku in Japan strung together three birdies in a row and his nine-under-par 62 produced a three-stroke victory and went into the record books as the lowest final-round score ever in a PGA Tour event at the historic course nicknamed “Hogan’s Alley” after legendary Ben Hogan, who won there three times in a span of 18 months in 1947 and 1948. The previous record was 63 by Doug Tewell in 1986.

“I was not feeling comfortable with my ball striking… but it worked out,” Matsuyama said through his interpreter after a 30 on the back nine. “The first tee shot was the worst shot I’ve hit all week.”

Matsuyama had a chance to match the course record of 61 set by Ted Tryba in the third round in 1999 but his lengthy birdie try rolled four feet past the hole at the famed 18th green. He cooly curved in his par putt to carry a three-stroke lead to the clubhouse at 17 under par. His four-day total of 267 was three off the Riviera record set by Lanny Wadkins in 1985. First played in 1926, the Genesis is the fourth-oldest event on the PGA Tour and Matsuyama’s brilliance equaled the final-round mark by Phil Rodgers at Rancho Park in 1962.

Five players were at 14 under on the back nine Sunday but Matsuyama continued to put up red numbers, making three birdies on his last four holes.

“My chipping and putting were good,” Matsuyama admitted after carding rounds of 69, 68, 68 and 62. The shot of the day was his approach at 15.

“I was happy how I struck that second shot on 15,” he added. “It was 184 yards into the wind and carried the bunker. Perfect shot. On 16 I hit it five yards right of my target, but fortunately it rolled to within six inches.”

The 2021 Masters champion recorded his ninth PGA Tour victory and first since winning the Sony Open in Hawaii in a playoff in 2022. He was clinical Sunday, hitting 14 of 18 greens in regulation, eight of 14 fairways and needed 23 putts. He climbed to third in the FedExCup standings behind Matthieu Pavon and Scottie Scheffler.

“To win here at Riviera was one of my goals since I became a pro and after Tiger Woods became the host that goal became a lot bigger,” Matsuyama said. “Owner [Noboru Watanabe] is Japanese and I’ve known him a long time. I’m disappointed I couldn’t take a picture with Tiger today.”

Woods withdrew with an illness after teeing off on No. 7 Friday. Making his season debut, the 15-time major champion who began his pro career at Riviera as a 16-year-old amateur in 1992, was driven off the course in a golf cart and issued a statement via social media the following day: “I would like to confirm that I had to withdraw due to illness, which we now know is influenza,” he said. “I am resting and feeling better.”

Matsuyama moved past South Korean K.J. Choi for most Tour wins by an Asian-born player. Jordan Spieth was disqualified after the second round for signing an incorrect card. Will Zalatoris and Luke List tied for second at -14 while Adam Hadwin, San Diego native Xander Schauffele and Long Beach native Cantlay ended in a three-way tie for fourth at -13.