KAPALUA, Hawaii — Hideki Matsuyama got the new season off to a smashing start Sunday when he broke the PGA Tour record to par for 72 holes by closing with an 8-under 65 for a three-shot victory over Collin Morikawa in The Sentry.
Matsuyama made an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole at Kapalua, extending his arm and lightly pumping his fist in about the only emotion he showed all week. That put him at 35-under 257, breaking by one the 34-under par by Cameron Smith set at Kapalua in 2022.
Matsuyama set another PGA Tour record with that final birdie, his 35th hole at birdie or better for the tournament. Smith in 2022 and Sungjae Im last year held the previous record.
It added to his 11th career title on the PGA Tour, and his third win in the last 10 months, all against some of the strongest fields.
Morikawa had to settle for second place despite not posting a round worse than 66 all week.
It was another scoring fest on the Plantation course on weeks when there is little wind, such as this one to start the new PGA Tour season.
“Obviously, you need to shoot a lot of low scores to keep up here,” said Ludvig Åberg, who had a 65-64 weekend to tie for fifth.
Matsuyama began with a one-shot lead over Morikawa and never trailed. He began to build some separation when he holed a sand wedge from 107 yards on the third hole, the ball landing in front of the pin, taking one hop and disappearing in the cup for eagle.
Matsuyama saw the crowd cheer from behind the elevated green, widened his eyes and pursed his lips and tapped fists with his caddie. And that was that. It was a methodical game, a methodical week for the 32-year-old Japanese star.
Morikawa, determined to give it his best shot, stayed within two until he had a three-putt par on the fifth hole after Matsuyama hit a superb chip from behind the green to tap-in range. Then, Morikawa had another three-putt from 60 feet, this one for bogey on the sixth.
That put him four shots behind and he did well to stay in the game until the final few holes. Morikawa birdied the 14th and 15th holes — Matsuyama missed birdie chances from 6 feet and 10 feet — to close to within two shots with three to play.
Matsuyama effectively ended it with a wedge to 4 feet on the 16th for birdie. Both birdied the 18th, Morikawa for a 67.
The Sentry is a signature event with a $20 million purse, and the $3.6 million payoff to Matsuyama put him over $60 million for his career.
Im closed with a 65 to finish alone in third, worth $1.36 million.
Matsuyama is the seventh player to win both Hawaii tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule. Justin Thomas (2017) and Ernie Els (2003) are the only players to win both in the same year. Matsuyama will have a chance to join them next week in the Sony Open on Oahu, where he won three years ago.
Taylor Pendrith delivered the most unlikely shot of the tournament, holing out his 6-iron from 200 yards on the par-5 fifth for the first albatross on the Plantation course since this season-opening tournament moved to Kapalua in 1999.
“As soon as I hit it I knew it was going to be really good,” Pendrith said. “Didn’t expect it to go in. Didn’t see it go in. But the fans that were up by the green went crazy so, yeah, it was a really good bonus.”
While considered the rarest shot in golf, the Canadian said it was the eighth of his career, but first in a tournament.
