Matsuyama again rises to occasion in Phoenix Open
Hideki Matsuyama was the last man standing at golf ’s biggest party — again.
Matsuyama won the Waste Management Phoenix Open on the fourth hole of a playoff for the second straight year, outlasting Webb Simpson on Sunday at Scottsdale, Ariz.
Matsuyama won with a 10-foot birdie putt on the short par-four 17th, the same hole where the 24-year-old finished off Rickie Fowler a year ago.
“I just had faith and believed that my chance would come again and I just waited and waited, had patience,” Matsuyama said. “Finally, that last one went in.”
Matsuyama closed with a five-under 66 at TPC Scottsdale, parring the final three holes to match Simpson at 17-under 267. On the par-four 18th in regulation, Matsuyama’s 20-foot birdie try to win stopped just short.
“I don’t know how it stayed out,” Matsuyama said. “But you can’t be short on a putt like that.”
Simpson birdied three of the last four holes for a 64, the best round of the day.
“To shoot seven under on Sunday, birdieing 17 and 18, is a great feeling, knowing I had to do it,” Simpson said. “But Hideki is a great player, obviously. I knew he’d be a tough competitor in the playoff. I wish I could have a couple of putts back and hit them a little harder.”
The tournament drew an estimated 58,654 fans Sunday to break the weekly record with 655,434. The previous mark of 618,365 was set last year. A record 204,906 packed the course Saturday. Garcia wins in Dubai
Sergio Garcia shot a final-round three-under-par 69 to win the Dubai Desert Classic after holding the tournament lead since the opening round.
The Spaniard, who had never posted a top-10 finish in his previous seven appearances at the event in the United Arab Emirates, finished at 19-under 269, three strokes ahead of British Open champion and topranked European player Henrik Stenson (69).
It was Garcia’s first European Tour win since the 2014 Qatar Masters. He also won the Byron Nelson Classic on the PGA Tour last year.