Image Credit: NBC Sports
Hideki Matsuyama ended his season as he began it, on top. He won the Hero World Challenge on Sunday, finishing with an 8-under 64 and sinking a 9-iron to two feet for birdie on the first playoff hole to defeat Alex Noren.
Eagle Sparks Matsuyama’s Comeback
Matsuyama, who opened the year with a PGA TOUR record at Kapalua, holed an eagle from 116 yards on the 10th fairway. That shot allowed him to catch Sepp Straka, surpass Scottie Scheffler, and seize control at Albany Golf Club.
Noren, delayed in starting his season until May due to a hamstring injury, rallied on the back nine. He holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole to match Matsuyama at 22-under 266, forcing a playoff. Matsuyama’s decisive 9-iron then found its mark, while Noren’s 20-foot birdie slid by.
“It was a perfect distance for me,” Matsuyama said. “Early on the second shot, I missed a little to the right. I went right at it and hit a great shot.”
Strong Show from Former Leaders
Sepp Straka, the 54-hole leader, birdied the final hole for a 68 to finish alone in third. Scheffler had a challenging back nine, including a costly stretch on holes 11 and 12, finishing with a 68 to tie for fourth with U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun (65).
Scheffler concluded his season having never finished worse than a tie for eighth in his last 16 events.
“It’s nice to come down here and gauge where I’m at,” Scheffler said. “I definitely saw progress on what I’ve been working on, including my offseason focus. Good place to be.”
Matsuyama Adds Another Tiger-Hosted Title
Matsuyama now has 21 career wins worldwide. Wearing his traditional yellow shirt, he started three shots off the lead but played a bogey-free round. His brilliant playoff shot secured his third trophy from Tiger Woods, following a 2016 Hero World Challenge victory and the 2024 Genesis Invitational at Riviera.
“Tiger told me to shoot 10 under today,” Matsuyama said. “I didn’t shoot 10 under, but I’m very happy to win this week.”
