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Hideki Matsuyama ended his play the mode helium started it, winning the Hero World Challenge connected Sunday (December 7) erstwhile helium closed with an 8-under 64 and past deed 9-iron to 2 feet for birdie connected the archetypal playoff spread to decision Alex Noren.
Matsuyama, who began the twelvemonth by mounting a PGA Tour grounds to par by winning astatine Kapalua, holed retired from 116 yards successful the 10th fairway for eagle that allowed him to drawback Sepp Straka, determination past Scottie Scheffler and prehend power astatine Albany Golf Club.
Noren, incapable to commencement his twelvemonth until May due to the fact that of a hamstring injury, charged on the backmost 9 and caught Matsuyama with an 18-foot birdie putt connected the last spread for a 64 to articulation him astatine 22-under 266 and unit a playoff.
The overtime didn't past long. Matsuyama, known for taking 1 manus disconnected the nine adjacent erstwhile the shots enactment retired fine, this clip twirled the 9-iron successful his manus arsenic helium watched it instrumentality purpose astatine the emblem and plop down a fewer feet away. Noren's 20-foot birdie effort slid by connected the left.
“It was a cleanable region for me,” Matsuyama said. “Early connected the 2nd changeable (in regulation), I missed a small to the right. I was going close astatine it and was capable to deed a large shot.”
He won the vacation lawsuit hosted by Tiger Woods for the 2nd time, winning successful 2016.
Straka, the 54-hole person by 1 changeable implicit Scheffler, birdied the last spread for a 68 to decorativeness unsocial successful third. Scheffler had a dilatory commencement and a two-hole agelong aboriginal connected the backmost 9 that ruined his bid for a 3rd consecutive triumph astatine Albany Golf Club. He changeable 68 and tied for 4th with U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun (65).
Matsuyama went retired successful 31 and abruptly was tied with Straka erstwhile helium holed retired for eagle.
But the tourney took signifier down him connected the par-5 11th.
Scheffler, 2 shots retired of the lead, chose to deed operator disconnected the fairway from 291 yards distant with a speck of mud connected the beforehand of his ball. It went near nether a tiny bush. He hacked that retired to a sandy area, past deed his 4th changeable implicit the greenish to backmost information of a bunker. Only a superb bunker changeable allowed him to flight with bogey.
But past helium recovered a bunker connected the par-3 12th that led to bogey, and was 5 shots down Matsuyama erstwhile the Japanese prima holed a 30-foot birdie putt connected the 13th hole.
Scheffler ended his play by not finishing worse than a necktie for eighth successful his past 16 events dating to the Houston Open the past week successful March.
“It's bully to travel down here, benignant of gauge wherever I'm at,” Scheffler said. “I decidedly felt similar immoderate of the worldly I've been moving connected the past fewer weeks, I saw immoderate advancement here, and the worldly I was focused connected successful the offseason, I decidedly saw immoderate advancement present arsenic well. Good spot to be.”
Matsuyama present has 21 wins worldwide, and helium wore his accepted yellowish garment for the last circular erstwhile helium started 3 shots disconnected the lead. He failed to capitalise connected some par 5s connected the backmost nine, but his bogey-free circular and a superb 9-iron successful the playoff were capable for his 3rd clip receiving a trophy from Woods. He besides won the Genesis Invitational astatine Riviera successful 2024, hosted by Woods.
“Tiger told maine to sprout 10 nether today,” Matsuyama said. “I didn't sprout 10 under, but I'm precise blessed to triumph this week.” (
