Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama couldn’t be caught while shooting a final-round 8-under-par 65 to win The Sentry, the PGA Tour’s season opener, on Sunday at The Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii.
Matsuyama finished at 35-under 257, the lowest 72-hole score to par in PGA Tour history. It was good for a three-stroke victory on runner-up Collin Morikawa, who shot 67.
It marked Matsuyama’s 11th career victory on the tour and follows two tournament titles last year.
Matsuyama holed out for eagle on the par-4 third hole with the ball bouncing a couple of times before landing in the cup as his lead grew to three strokes. The margin was four shots going to the back nine even after Matsuyama’s bogey on the par-4 seventh marked just his second bogey of the tournament.
Morikawa’s birdie on the 15th hole closed the gap to two shots. Matsuyama responded with a birdie on the next hole.
Matsuyama, who turns 33 next month, took the lead during Friday’s second round and kept up his pace of birdies. Morikawa had matched Matsuyama’s scores Friday and Saturday (65 and 62), entering the final round trailing by one shot.
South Korea’s Sungjae Im (65) was third at 29 under and Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas (65) placed fourth at 25 under.
Belgium’s Thomas Detry (71), Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (64) and Canada’s Corey Conners (67) shared fifth place at 24 under.
Canada’s Taylor Pendrith recorded the first albatross in the 27-year history of the tournament, helping him to a 67 for the second day in a row. He ended up tied for 13th place at 22 under. His 2 on the par-5 fifth hole was the highlight, though a double-bogey on No. 17 took some shine off his round.
All 58 golfers who finished the tournament were 3 under or better.
–Field Level Media
