Matsuyama rises in Phoenix again
Hideki Matsuyama won the Waste Management Phoenix Open on the fourth hole of a playoff for the second straight year, outlasting Webb Simpson yesterday at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Matsuyama won with a 10foot birdie putt on the short par-4 17th, the same hole where the 24-year-old Japanese star finished off Rickie Fowler a year ago, to win his second PGA Tour title of the season and fourth overall.
Matsuyama closed with a 5-under 66, parring the final three holes to match Simpson at 17-under 267. Simpson birdied three of the last four for a 64, the best round of the day.
Matsuyama took advantage of third-round leader Byeong Hun An’s back-nine collapse. Sitting 3 strokes ahead of Matsuyama, An bogeyed the first two holes on the back nine and closed with two more. The South Korean player had a 73 to finish sixth at 14 under.
Matsuyama and Simpson matched pars on the first three extra holes, playing the par-4 18th twice and the par-4 10th before heading to 17. Simpson’s drive on 332yard hole ended up on the right edge of the green, with a bunker blocking his path to the hole. Instead of trying to hit a wedge over the bunker, he putted and left himself a 25-footer that burned the right edge.
Louis Oosthuizen finished a stroke back after a 65. The South African birdied Nos. 14, 15 and 17, then hit in the right bunker on 18 and scrambled to save par. Fowler also shot a 65 to match J.J. Spaun (67) at 15 under.
Phil Mickelson tied for 16th at 10 under after a 71.
Sergio wire to wire
Sergio Garcia shot a finalround 3-under-par 69 to win the Dubai Desert Classic in the United Arab Emirates after holding the tournament lead since the opening round.
The Spaniard, who had never posted a top-10 finish in his previous seven Desert Classic appearances, finished on a 19-under 269, 3 strokes ahead of Open champion and top-ranked European Henrik Stenson (69).
Denmark’s Lasse Jensen, whose 65 was the low round of the day, finished tied for third with England’s Tyrrell Hatton (67).
It was Garcia’s first European Tour win since the 2014 Qatar Masters. In the interim, he also won the Byron Nelson Classic on the PGA Tour last year.
With his 12th European Tour victory, Garcia became the sixth wire-to-wire winner of the Desert Classic and the sixth Spaniard to lift the “Dallah” trophy.
Garcia is expected to move up to No. 9 from his current 15th place when the rankings are released today.