“PRO” FILE – TOURING PROFESSIONAL HIDEKI MATSUYAMA

How would you like to shoot 32-under for four rounds and not win? That scenario happened in the PGA Tour’s first event of the season, The Sentry, when Collin Morikawa fired that number only to fall three strokes short of winner Hideki Matsuyama. What in the world is going on on today’s PGA Tour? The Sentry is played at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii, a course known for generous fairways and ease of play, since it is, after all, a resort course. Having a par of 73 helps the cause, too.

Coming off a very good year in 2024 where he won twice and scored seven top-10 finishes in 20 events, Matsuyama picked up where he left off at Maui. He grabbed the second-round lead with a pair of 65s and then put his foot to the floor, firing a 62 in the third round before a final-round 65 closed the deal. He is one of the best ballstrikers on the PGA Tour, finishing 33rd in strokes-gained-driving and 15th in strokes-gained-approach shots in 2024. He continued that fine ballstriking in capturing the Sentry.

Matsuyama is the most successful Asian golfer to ever play on the PGA Tour. In addition to his 11 PGA Tour wins, he is also a major champion, having captured the Masters in 2021.