HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., – In a come from behind effort, Hideki Matsuyama chased down the field at The Genesis Invitational with a scorching final round back-nine 30, carding six birdies and no bogeys to close out the tournament at 17-under and win by three strokes. Matsuyama’s 9-under 62 on Sunday is the lowest final round tournament score recorded at Riviera Country Club. This is his ninth PGA Tour victory.
Delivering on one of the biggest stages of the year, Matsuyama found himself in cruise control on Sunday, showcasing his pristine Iron play throughout the final round. His back-nine 30 was fueled by his Srixon Z-Forged II Irons hitting back-to-back Iron shots on the 15th and 16th holes within nine and six inches respectively. He ranked second in strokes gained approach in the final round.
Playing pain free and winning for the first time since the Sony Open in 2022, Matsuyama hopes to keep this positive momentum going into major season. “Ever since that injury, I was worried every week I would hurt my back. This week I played without any worries so that really helped,” he said. “I think it’s really important for me to keep this momentum, especially going into Augusta, so hopefully I can keep that.”
