Matsuyama storms to WGC win and history

DOMINANT Hideki Matsuyama made history on Sunday when he became the first player from Asia to win a World Golf Championships title.

The 24-year-old from Japan left a world-class field, including Rory McIlroy and all four 2016 major winners, trailing in his wake as he finished seven strokes clear at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

The 24-year-old Japanese player also became the first from the continent to win “Asia’s Major,” and he did it in style with a flawless final round of six-under par 66.

Matsuyama was just one shot shy of the record 72-hole score at Sheshan International Golf Club of 24-under par set by current US Open champion Dustin Johnson three years ago.

Matsuyama f i ni s hed a t 23-under par after four stunning rounds of 66, 65, 68 and 66 at the par-72 layout. British Open champions Henrik Stenson and Daniel Berger of the US were tied for second way back at 16-under par.

World No3 Ror y McIl roy yesterday carded his second 66 of the week for yet another top-f ive f i nish as he sha red fourth place on 15-under par wit h Bill Haas.

Matsuyama, whose total of 29 bird ies for t he week was just three short of the all-time US P G A To u r r e c o r d o f 32, remarkably did not card a single bogey af ter t he nint h hole of his second round on Friday.

The in-form player is set to rise to as high as No6 in the world following his victory, for which he wins $1.62 million.

It caps a remarkable run in which Matsuyama has won t he Japa n Open, f i n i s hed runner-up in the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic in Malaysia and won the WGC-HSBC Champions in consecutive weeks.

Mea nwhi le, McI l roy ha s made a late decision to sk ip t his week’s Turk ish Airlines Open over securit y fears.

The four-time major winner confirmed his pullout yesterday from the first of the tour’s “Final Three” series of big money playoff events after finishing fourth in the WGC-HSBC Champions yesterday behind winner Matsuyama.

Asked if a rocket attack t wo weeks ago in the region which host s t he event had been behind his withdrawal, McIlroy said: “I t hink it’s obvious. I gave it a lot of t hought, basica lly a ll week.

“It was sort of a weight on my mind, and I felt like I slept a lot better last night knowing that I’d made a decision.”

The player’s management had informed the European Tour on Saturday night t hat McIlroy would not t ravel to the Regnum Car ya Golf and Spa Resort, in t he coasta l cit y of Antalya, for t he $7 million tournament which starts on Thursday.