Matsuyama Sets New PGA Tour Record to Win PGA Tour Opener
Hideki Matsuyama started the PGA Tour season with a bang, breaking a record to win The Sentry Tournament of Champions in Kapalua, Hawaii and receive the $3.6 million prize. The 2021 Masters champion delivered an extraordinary performance, finishing 72 holes at 35 under par—a new PGA Tour record. This surpassed the previous record of 34 under par set by Cameron Smith in 2022 at the same course.
Matsuyama sealed the victory with a final-round 65, with his final birdie on the 18th hole securing both the win and the historic score. “That last putt, it felt like if I make it, it's going to be the record, so I'm so happy that it went in,” Matsuyama said through a translator.
Starting the final round stroke ahead, Matsuyama and Collin Morikawa went head-to-head throughout the final round. A standout moment for Matsuyama came on the third hole, where he holed out from 107 yards for an eagle. Although Morikawa birdied the same hole to stay close, a series of missed opportunities on the front nine cost him.
Morikawa finished second at 32 under par, after a final-round 67. Reflecting on Matsuyama’s dominance, he said, “He just never let up... To win on a course like this, conditions like this, you’ve got to have it for 72 [holes]. And I had it for 65.”
For Morikawa, the runner-up finish was bittersweet, as he reflected on missed chances early in the round. However, he acknowledged the positives, saying, “I played a good back nine, but there’s a lot to learn from this.”
Sungjae Im claimed third place at 29 under, while Canadian Taylor Pendrith made headlines with an albatross on the par-five fifth. Pendrith holed out from 200 yards, marking the first albatross on the Plantation Course since 1999. “As soon as I hit it, I knew it was going to be really good,” Pendrith said.
This victory marks Matsuyama’s 11th PGA Tour title and his third in less than a year. The win also propels him to fifth in the world rankings.
