HIDEKI Matsuyama became the fourth Japanese player to win on the PGA Tour when he captured the Memorial tournament in a play-off over the American Kevin Na in Dublin, Ohio on Sunday.Matsuyama (22) won his first PGA Tour title at the tournament which was held at Muirifield Village.
Matsuyama is slowly carving a name for himself having recorded five victories in just more than a year as a professional, the other four coming on the Japan Tour.
Matsuyama who turned professional last year in April has already competed in the Presidents’ Cup and has also had two top-10 finishes in the four major championships he has competed in. Matsuyama seems to have a bright golfing career head of him.
Matsuyama won with a par at the first extra hole of the sudden-death play-off. Na who shot a 64 in the final round still had about 10 feet for bogey on the 18th hole in the playoff when Matsuyama made his par putt.
However, the consolation for Na was that his runner-up finish moved him high enough in the world ranking that he will be exempt for the US Open that gets underway in a weeks time . He had planned on going through 36-hole qualifying Monday.
Bubba Watson meanwhile, will feel like he threw away the tournament. Watson stood on the 14th tee at 15 under par, but finished at 12 under and missed the playoff by one shot, a bogey on the 14th hole was followed by a double bogey seven on the next hole.
A victory would have been his third of the year and made him a firm favourite for PGA Tour player of the year honours. As it is, Watson has two wins, including the Masters, two runner-up finishes and a third. Watson moved to third in the world rankings behind Scott and Henrik Stenson and ahead of Tiger Woods.
The Memorial Tournament is a PGA Tour golf tournament, founded 38 years ago in 1976 by Jack Nicklaus. It is played on a Nicklaus-designed course at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb close to his home. The golf course passes through a large neighborhood called Muirfield Village.
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