Matsuyama fights back to win St Jude Champs; Bhatia finishes tied 12th

Memphis [US], August 20 (ANI): Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama became the first Asian golfer to win a FedExCup Playoffs event with a hard-fought two-stroke victory over Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland at the St. Jude Championship, the first of three Playoffs event, on Sunday.

The 32-year-old Matsuyama surged to his second title of the season and 10th PGA TOUR career victory, thanks to two closing birdies at TPC Southwind in Memphis as he overcame a back nine wobble which saw his overnight five-shot lead turn into a one-shot deficit after dropping four strokes through holes 12-15.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who has won six times this season and was the gold medallist in Paris, finished fourth, three back of Matsuyama, and remained top of the points list, with Schauffele trailing in second position.

Indian-American Akshay Bhatia (68) was T-12, Indo-British Aaron Rai (67) was T-16 and another Indian American Sahith Theegala (71) was T-46th. All three stay in Top-50 of the FedEx Cup Standings and will start in the second Play-offs event, the BMW Championships.

Armed with a new putter, Matsuyama, who had earlier been pushed back, rolled in a crucial 26-foot birdie putt on the 17th green to restore his lead. He then knocked his approach to six feet for a final birdie and cemented his stature as Asia’s winningest player on TOUR.

“I’m especially happy to be able to win one of the FedExCup Playoff series tournaments. I’ve tried hard for 10 years, and it’s a great feeling of satisfaction to finally be able to have done it,” said Matsuyama through his interpreter.

The triumph moved Matsuyama up to third place in the FedExCup points list with the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship to play over the next fortnight. He is seeking to rewrite more golf history as no Asian golfer has won the TOUR’s season-long prize, the FedExCup, since its inception in 2007.

A bronze medallist at the recent Paris Olympics, the in-form Asian star credited a new putter in the bag, and stand-in caddie, Taiga Tabuchi, for his stellar week in Memphis. His regular caddie Shota Hayafuji and coach Mikihito Kuromiya were forced to return to Japan to sort out their travel documents after losing their passports during a stopover in London following the Olympics. Hayafuji will be back on Matsuyama’s bag at the BMW Championship.

“First time I’ve worked with him (Tabuchi). On the course, you have a routine, but with a new caddie, that routine changes, and so we were working through that all week. But he was a great help to me. Helped me read a lot of putts. A lot of good lines that he gave me.”

With Schauffele, who has won two majors this season charging up the leaderboard following a closing 63, and reigning FedExCup champion Viktor Hovland making his move before a bogey on 17 saw him sign for a 66, Matsuyama made life difficult for himself down the stretch. He three-putted on 12 for his first bogey of the day, found water with his tee shot into the par-3 14th hole and then made a double bogey on 15 with some errors.

Korea’s Byeong Hun An (69) finished T33 to advance into the BMW Championship, limited to the top-50, in 15th position on the FedExCup points list and will be joined by compatriots Sungjae Im who finished T40 for 10th position on the points list. Si Woo Kim ended his week in T50 and will start the penultimate Playoffs event in 44th place. Tom Kim closed with a 71 for T50 in Memphis and agonizingly missed out his spot in the BMW Championship by one rung in 51st position.