The number 62 is currently in vogue. Utilizing a different scorecard than David Puig, Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama executed a remarkable comeback to secure triumph at The Genesis Invitational, a PGA Tour event in Los Angeles. This victory marked the lowest final round score in the tournament’s history.
Matsuyama finished three strokes ahead of Will Zalatoris and Luke List. The reigning champion of the 2021 Masters in Augusta managed to overcome a six-shot deficit he had with Patrick Cantlay heading into the final 18 holes. It was revealed by Cantlay’s coach that the American played the final round with a slight fever, which may have affected his performance (72 strokes).
Matsuyama’s Sunday was comprised of three remarkable sequences. He achieved three consecutive birdies in each sequence. The first set of birdies, within the first three holes, provided him with the belief that a comeback was possible. The second set, between the 10th and 12th holes, propelled him to the top with a 15-meter putt.
The third set of birdies, initiated by a brilliant 6-iron shot against the wind from 170 meters, landed a mere foot from the hole. This shot sealed his victory, marking his ninth triumph on the PGA Tour. Matsuyama’s win also solidified his status as the Asian golfer with the most victories in the history of the circuit, surpassing South Korean KJ Choi.
This triumph signifies the end of a challenging period for Matsuyama, who had been hindered by a neck injury in the past two seasons. “I even thought I would never win again,” said Matsuyama, reflecting on his journey. Despite missing the opportunity to take a photo with host Tiger Woods, who was absent due to illness, Matsuyama experienced a day filled with joy. He was congratulated via the X platform, as he had to settle for that in the absence of a traditional meeting with Woods and Jon Rahm in 2023.
Interestingly, Matsuyama’s comeback is the largest in PGA Tour history since Rahm’s seven-stroke comeback in The Sentry last year. Hideki Matsuyama, born on February 29, 1992, in Matsuyama, Japan, is a professional golfer from Japan.
He turned professional in 2013 and has achieved notable victories, including the Asian Amateur Championship in 2010 and 2011, five PGA Tour tournaments, eight Japan Golf Tour events, and two World Golf Championships. He holds the highest ranking ever achieved by a Japanese golfer in the World Golf Ranking, reaching second place after finishing as the runner-up in the 2017 US Open.
Matsuyama made history as the first Japanese player to win a major tournament, emerging victorious at the Masters Tournament in Augusta in 2021. As an amateur, he began his career in 2010 while studying at Tohoku University in Sendai. He claimed the Asian Amateur Championship in 2010 with an impressive score of 68-69-65-67=269.
This victory granted him the opportunity to compete in the 2011 Masters Tournament, where he became the first Japanese amateur to participate. He finished 27th overall and was honored with the Silver Cup, awarded to the best amateur. Notably, he was the only amateur to make the cut.
In the following week, he secured a third-place finish at the Japan Open Golf Championship on the Japan Golf Tour. At the 2011 Summer Universiade, he achieved gold medals in both the individual and team events. In October 2011, he successfully defended his title at the Asian Amateur Championship and once again qualified for the Masters.
In November of the same year, he claimed his first professional victory at the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters on the Japan Golf Tour. By August 2012, Matsuyama had risen to become the world’s number one amateur in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org