Matsuyama overcomes shaky finish to win the Memorial

6/2/2014

DUBLIN, Ohio — With every swing, Hideki Matsuyama appeared to join a cast of top players throwing away a chance to win the Memorial.

A tee shot in the water on the 16th for double bogey. An approach over the back of the green on the 17th that led to bogey. And then a drive to the right that made the Japanese star so disgusted that he lightly slammed his club into the turf, and the head of the driver broke off.

The ball hit a tree and took one last bounce back into the fairway, and Matsuyama seized on the break. He took dead aim with a 7-iron to just outside five feet for birdie on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Kevin Na, and then won for the first time in America with a 10-foot par putt on the first extra hole.

"Right from the 15th hole, I had a lot of missed shots," Matsuyama said. "The double bogey at 16, bogey at 17, not a real good tee shot — I thought — at 18. But when I saw the ball on the fairway on the 18th hole there, that's when I was able to think I still have a chance."

The 22-year-old Matsuyama earned validation as one of the game's bright young stars Sunday by closing with a 3-under 69 and making two clutch putts on the 18th hole for his sixth career victory, the previous five on the Japan Golf Tour. This was his first win against a field of the world's top players.

"I just think you've just seen the start of what's going to be truly one of your world's great players over the next 10 to 15 years," tournament host Jack Nicklaus said.

Nicklaus spent much of the back nine in the broadcast booth, and it was a brand of golf that was unfamiliar to golf's greatest champion. The Memorial became only the latest event where proven players faltered badly.

Masters champion Bubba Watson had a one-shot lead with five holes to play. He was 3 over the rest of the way.

Adam Scott, the No. 1 player in the world, was tied for the lead until playing the last seven holes in 4 over.

"The whole thing is frustrating as I stand here right now," Scott said after his 71. "But everyone is going to feel like that. We all could have done something different. If we all did, who knows what the result would be?"

Scott fell apart by hitting one shot into the water, taking two shots to get out of a bunker, and losing all hope when his third shot to the par-5 15th hit the pin and caromed back into the fairway, leading to a bogey.

Pernice picks up win

DES MOINES — Tom Pernice, Jr., birdied the second hole of a playoff with Doug Garwood to win the Champions Tour's Principal Charity Classic.

Pernice won for the third time on the 50-and-over tour, closing with a 3-under 69 to match Garwood at 12-under 204 at Wakonda Club.

Garwood birdied the final two holes for a 71.

They played the par-4 18th hole twice in the playoff, with Pernice winning with a putt from just under 10 feet.

Bill Glasson, Jay Haas, Mark Calcavecchia, and Michael Allen were a shot back.