Hideki Matsuyama finished with a PGA Tour record 72-hole 35-under par to win The Sentry in Hawaii by three strokes from Collin Morikawa.
The Japanese eclipsed the 34 under par that Cameron Smith had achieved to win the same event in 2022, winning his eleventh PGA Tour title and his third in less than a year.
Matsuyama shot an eight-under 65 at Kapalua on Sunday, and his bogey on the par-four seventh was his only missed shot in his final 59 holes and took home the $3.6 million jackpot.
After an eight-foot birdie putt on the 18th secured a new PGA Tour record, the 32-year-old said, “I’m really happy it went in.”
Matsuyama’s birdie-or-better 35th hole (he also holed out from 107 yards for eagle on the second of his last round) broke Smith’s record three years ago and Sungjae Im’s in 2024 at the same spot in 2024.
Morikawa, who began the last round one stroke behind Matsuyama, shot a six-under 67, and his title hopes were dashed when he made three consecutive putts at five and six to record par and bogey respectively.
The American said about Matsuyama, who will now rise to fifth place in the world ratings: “He never gave up today. I knew I had to stay on top of everything, and I just let a few slip through the top nine.
“I played a good back nine, but to win on a course like this, in conditions like this, you have to have it by 72″. (holes). And I had it for 65.”
I closed with a 65 to take third place at 29 under, while Taylor Pendrith secured an albatross, the first on the Plantation course since the PGA Tour season opener moved to Kapalua in 1999, on the par-five fifth. when he holed out from 200 yards.
The Canadian, who finished 13th at 22 under par, said: “As soon as I hit it, I knew it was going to be really good. (but) I didn’t expect him to come in.
“I didn’t see him come in, but the fans that were near the inexperienced went crazy, so yeah, it was a really nice bonus.”
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