By Hideki Matsuyama held on for a nerve-wracking victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, despite seeing his five-shot lead disappear in just four holes. Matsuyama ultimately won by two strokes, finishing 17 under par, thanks to two crucial birdies on the final holes. The win, his 10th career PGA Tour title, came despite a challenging back nine where he bogeyed twice and carded a double-bogey.
Matsuyama’s triumph was part of the PGA Tour’s season-ending Playoffs, with only the top 50 players in the overall standings advancing to next week’s BMW Championship. This advancement also ensures their participation in all the $20 million signature events next year. However, England’s Justin Rose was not as fortunate. Rose finished tied for 22nd at six under par, placing him 55th in the standings, just missing the cut for the BMW Championship.
Keegan Bradley narrowly secured the 50th and final spot, while Norway’s Viktor Hovland, Nick Dunlap, and Eric Cole moved into the top 50 with strong final rounds. Cole impressed with a joint-low round of 63, shared with Xander Schauffele and Max Greyserman.
On the other hand, Tom Kim, Mackenzie Hughes, and Jake Knapp dropped out of the top 50, with Kim’s dramatic late-round collapse—a bogey, followed by back-to-back double-bogeys—leaving him in 51st place, just outside the qualification zone.
At the top of the leaderboard, Matsuyama faced stiff competition from Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland. Schauffele, who started the day nine shots behind Matsuyama, put together a bogey-free round and nearly forced a playoff with a chip-in attempt on the 18th. However, Matsuyama’s composure on the final two holes, especially on the challenging 18th, secured his victory.
This win for Matsuyama came under difficult circumstances, following a pre-tournament robbery in London that resulted in his caddie and coach losing their passports and having to return to Japan. Despite these challenges, Matsuyama’s victory at the St. Jude Championship marks a significant achievement in his career.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler finished fourth at 14 under, continuing his strong form on the tour.
