Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama watches five-shot lead disappear before winning FedEx St. Jude Championship
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — Hideki Matsuyama survived a nervy ending on Sunday to dramatically win the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Matsuyama had thrown away a five-shot overnight lead on the final day of competition in Tennessee, before recovering his form to win the postseason playoff opener at TPC Southwind.
The Japanese star, who secured a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics earlier this month, recorded two birdies in the final two holes to regain the lead and take the win.
It required the 32-year-old to sink a 26-foot putt on the 17th, before he kept his composure with two brilliant shots on the final hole.
He eventually finished two shots ahead of both Norway’s Viktor Hovland and American Xander Schauffele.
“I felt today’s victory slipping away at that point because 17 and 18 are difficult holes enough, let alone to birdie them,” Matsuyama told reporters through an interpreter on Sunday.
“But I was fortunate enough to birdie 17. Immediately, I thought, ‘Oh, man, this is going to be a tough tee shot at 18. I’ve got to keep it in the fairway.’ I’m grateful I was able to do it.”
The title had looked a formality going into the final day, after Matsuyama had established such a dominant lead.
He kept the lead going into the 14th when his form temporarily abandoned him – he hit into the water to record a bogey on the 14th, before struggling with his putting on the 15th.
His slip up had suddenly given those behind him a chance of the win but, in a stark turn of fortune, Matsuyama came up with the goods with the two birdies when he needed them most.
The win is his 10th PGA title and means he will now head to this week’s BMW Championship ranked third in the FedExCup.
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