Hideki Matsuyama could feel the tournament getting away from him, an odd sensation considering he had gone 27 holes without a bogey and had a five-shot lead just an hour earlier. Even more improbable was how it ended. On the verge of a collapse, Matsuyama rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to regain the lead and then hit two shots as precise as any he hit all day for one last birdie to win a wild PGA Tour postseason opener at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Birdies on the final two holes - among the toughest on the TPC Southwind - gave the Japanese star an even-par 70 and a two-shot victory over Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland, who thought they were playing for cash and FedEx Cup points until Matsuyama's mini-meltdown.
A three-putt bogey on the 12th. A tee shot into the water on the par-3 14th, where Matsuyama did well to escape with bogey. Two chips to reach the 15th green and a double bogey. When he saw a leaderboard on the 16th hole, it confirmed what Matsuyama feared.
"I felt today's victory slipping away at that point because 17 and 18 are difficult holes enough, let alone to birdie them," Matsuyama said through his interpreter. He birdied them both for his 10th career PGA Tour victory and first FedEx Cup playoffs title.
The stakes suddenly were high for everyone in the final hour of what had been a sleepy, steamy tournament. It was tight at the top, and just as tense on the bubble to determine the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup who advanced to next week.
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