Hideki Matsuyama survives late slump to clinch St. Jude Championship

Hideki Matsuyama, aged 32, managed to overcome a challenging back nine to secure victory at the PGA Tour's St. Jude Championship held at TPC Southwind in Memphis on Sunday.

Starting the day with a commanding five-shot advantage, Matsuyama was two-under for his round until he encountered difficulties, recording bogeys on the 12th and 14th holes, followed by a double bogey on the par-4 15th.

This series of setbacks allowed Xander Schauffele, who began the day nine shots behind, and Norway's Viktor Hovland to catch up, resulting in a three-way tie for the lead at 15-under.

However, with the prospect of a potential three-way playoff looming, Matsuyama regained his composure just in time. He successfully made a 26-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th, reclaiming the lead. With his competitors already finished, he needed only a par on the 18th hole to secure his victory in the first of three events that comprise the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Displaying no signs of anxiety, Matsuyama aggressively approached the final par-4 hole, ultimately making a birdie to finish at 17-under, while Schauffele and Hovland ended in a tie for second place.

"After the 14th hole, I was still two ahead, but I was aware that Viktor and Xander were playing the 15th and 16th holes ahead of me. I anticipated they would both reach 16-under. When I reached the 16th hole and checked the scoreboard, they were indeed at 16-under, and I found myself a stroke behind," Matsuyama remarked.

"I sensed that today's victory was slipping away at that moment, as the 17th and 18th holes are quite challenging, making birdies difficult.

"Fortunately, I managed to birdie the 17th. Immediately, I thought about the tough tee shot on the 18th. I needed to keep it in the fairway, and I am thankful I was able to do so," he added.

This victory marks Matsuyama's 10th win on the PGA Tour, following his triumph at the 2021 master's and his second win this season after the Genesis Invitational in California in February.

Notably, Matsuyama had to play this week with a stand-in caddie after his regular bag carrier had his passport stolen in London in a theft which also saw the golfer's wallet stolen.

Hovland, who recorded a score of 66, positioned himself prominently in the competition by securing birdies on the 15th and 16th holes; however, he subsequently incurred a bogey on the 17th hole.

The playoff field will be reduced to 50 participants for the upcoming BMW Championship at Castle Rock, Colorado, and will be further narrowed to 30 for the concluding event, the Tour Championship in Atlanta, commencing on August 29.

Scottie Scheffler currently leads the playoff standings, with Schauffele in second place and Matsuyama expected to ascend to third place following this victory.

Nick Dunlap, a 20-year-old American who turned professional in January after his triumph at The American Express tournament in California, has advanced into the top 50 after finishing in a tie for fifth place.