BY AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama fired nine birdies in a scintillating nine-under-par 62 on Sunday, Feb. 18, to rally from six shots back for a three-stroke victory in the Genesis Invitational at The Riviera Country Club.
Tap-in birdies at the 15th and 16th saw the Japanese star break free atop a crowded leaderboard that saw five players tied for the lead on the back nine.
He added a birdie at the par-five 17th — shooting six-under on the back nine and capping his round with a two-putt par at Riviera’s iconic 18th.
His 17-under 267 left him three strokes clear of Americans Luke List and Will Zalatoris, List carding a 68 and Zalatoris a 69 for 270.
Matsuyama, who was one stroke shy of equalling the course record, had started the day tied for seventh but leapt into contention with birdies at the first three holes.
He opened the back nine with another three-birdie burst, drilling a 10-foot putt at the 10th and firing out of the rough to one foot at the par-five 11th before rolling in a 46-footer at the 12th.
His tap-in birdie at the 15th — where his 189-yard approach shot left him eight inches from the pin — put him among five players sharing the lead at 15-under, and another birdie putt of six inches at the par-three 16th saw him take the solo lead.
He was in the fairway at the par-five 17th and after his second shot rolled through the green he chipped to three feet to pad his lead.
His rivals, meanwhile, were falling by the wayside.
List had powered to the lead with an eagle and three birdies on the front nine, but had three bogeys and just one birdie coming in.
Zalatoris, playing on a sponsor’s invitation as he works his way back from back surgery that cut short his 2023 campaign, had the solo lead after his fourth birdie of the day at the 13th, but he couldn’t keep pace with Matsuyama and fell three adrift with a bogey at 15.
Cantlay stalls
Overnight leader Patrick Cantlay, who had carried a five-shot lead into the weekend and saw it dwindle to two going into the final round, never got anything going, He opened with nine pars before a bogey at the 10th.
Cantlay made just his second birdie of the day at the 18th, carding a one-over 72 that put him in a tie for fourth with Canadian Adam Hadwin and American Xander Schauffele.
Hadwin carded a six-under 65 and Schauffele — whose last-group pairing with good friend Cantlay had been expected to provide the day’s fireworks, signed for a one-under 70.
Matsuyama, hindered by neck and back injuries in recent seasons, claimed his ninth US tour title, but his first since the Sony Open in 2022.
He’ll enjoy a sizeable boost to his world No. 55 ranking as well as a $4 million winner’s prize from the $20 million purse on offer at the third of eight signature events on the US PGA Tour schedule this year.
The elite tournaments are designed to showcase the game’s best, but top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and world number two Rory McIlroy were never a factor. Tournament host Tiger Woods’s first start of 2024 ended abruptly midway through the second round on Friday when he withdrew because of illness.
