DOMINANT HIDEKI MATSUYAMA made history Sunday when he became the first player from Asia to win a World Golf Championships.
The 24-year-old from Japan left a world-class field, including Rory McIlroy and all four 2016 major winners, trailing in his wake as he finished seven strokes clear at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
The 24-year-old Japanese player also became the first from the continent to win “Asia’s Major” and he did it in style with a flawless final round of six-under par 66.
Matsuyama was just one shot shy of the record 72-hole score at Sheshan International Golf Club of 24-under par set by current US Open champion Dustin Johnson three years ago.
Advertisement
Matsuyama finished at 23-under par after four stunning rounds of 66, 65, 68 and 66 at the par-72 layout. British Open champions Henrik Stenson and Daniel Berger of the US were tied for second way back at 16-under par.
World number three Rory McIlroy on Sunday carded his second 66 of the week for yet another top-five finish as he took fourth place on 15-under par.
Matsuyama, whose total of 29 birdies for the week was just three short of the all-time US PGA Tour record of 32, remarkably did not card a bogey after the ninth hole of his second round on Friday, despite testing damp and windy conditions in the Chinese megacity.
The in-form 24-year-old is set to rise to as high as number six in the world following his victory for which he wins $1.62 million.
It caps a remarkable run in which Matsuyama has won the Japan Open, finished runner-up in the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic in Malaysia and won the WGC-HSBC Champions in consecutive weeks.
Before that he had finished fifth in the US PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championships, won by McIlroy.
History-maker Matsuyama storms to WGC victory as McIlroy finishes strongly
DOMINANT HIDEKI MATSUYAMA made history Sunday when he became the first player from Asia to win a World Golf Championships.
The 24-year-old from Japan left a world-class field, including Rory McIlroy and all four 2016 major winners, trailing in his wake as he finished seven strokes clear at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
The 24-year-old Japanese player also became the first from the continent to win “Asia’s Major” and he did it in style with a flawless final round of six-under par 66.
Matsuyama was just one shot shy of the record 72-hole score at Sheshan International Golf Club of 24-under par set by current US Open champion Dustin Johnson three years ago.
Matsuyama finished at 23-under par after four stunning rounds of 66, 65, 68 and 66 at the par-72 layout. British Open champions Henrik Stenson and Daniel Berger of the US were tied for second way back at 16-under par.
World number three Rory McIlroy on Sunday carded his second 66 of the week for yet another top-five finish as he took fourth place on 15-under par.
Matsuyama, whose total of 29 birdies for the week was just three short of the all-time US PGA Tour record of 32, remarkably did not card a bogey after the ninth hole of his second round on Friday, despite testing damp and windy conditions in the Chinese megacity.
The in-form 24-year-old is set to rise to as high as number six in the world following his victory for which he wins $1.62 million.
It caps a remarkable run in which Matsuyama has won the Japan Open, finished runner-up in the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic in Malaysia and won the WGC-HSBC Champions in consecutive weeks.
Before that he had finished fifth in the US PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championships, won by McIlroy.
© – AFP 2016
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
Séamus Power in contention for his first PGA Tour title ahead of final round in Mississippi
Rapid to Vienna: Doyle aims to stake claim in play-off showdown with Keane
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Golf HISWKI MATSUYAMA King of the Swingers Rory McIlroy WGC World Golf Championship