MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT REPORT AND TOTALS
JAPAN'S MATSUYAMA BEATS NA IN
PLAY-OFF AFTER BUBBA LETS IT SLIP
FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
WHERE IT WENT WRONG FOR WATSON: Bubba Watson began the day
with a one-shot lead and still appeared to be headed toward his third
win of the season until a bogey on the 14th hole and a double bogey on
the next after hitting his tee shot out of bounds.
“I made one bad decision,” Watson said of his tee shot on 15. “If I hit the 4-wood off the tee instead of the driver on the par 5, we make five and we win by one. But I made a double, so we lost by one.”
A victory would have been Watson’s third of the year -- one better than he has ever had in one season on the PGA TOUR.
Instead, he settled for third -- his best finish at the Memorial Tournament by 20 spots.
“It’s about getting better at the game of golf,” Watson said. “And earlier this year I haven’t played good; I love LA, but I haven’t played good there, and then somehow I won there. And here, I haven’t played good here, but I competed this week and had a chance to win. Obviously it shows my all-around game is gaining consistency."
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
players from USA unless stated
275 Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 70 67 69 69, Kevin Na 72 69 70 64 (Matsuyama won play-off)
276 Bubba Watson 66 69 69 72
278 Chris Kirk 66 70 74 68, Adam Scott (Australia) 69 70 68 71
279 Steve Stricker 71 70 69 70, Ben Curtis 69 71 69 70
280 Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 71 67 74 68, Bill Haas 73 67 72 68, Luke Guthrie 75 69 66 70,
Brendon Todd 71 68 69 72, Charl Schwartzel (S Africa) 72 69 67 72
SELECTED TOTALS
281 Paul Casey (England) 66 66 76 73 (T13)
282 Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 63 78 69 72 (T15)
283 Jordan Spieth 69 72 67 75 (T19)
287 Luke Donald (England) 71 69 73 74 (T49)
299 Gonzalo Fernandez Castano (Spain) 73 70 79 77 (T75)
PLAY-OFF AFTER BUBBA LETS IT SLIP
FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
Just when it looked like Hideki Matsuyama might miss out on his first
career victory on the US PGA TOUR, the 22-year-old Japanese player birdied the 18th hole
at Muirfield Village for a fourth straight day to shoot a 3-under 69.
He then beat Kevin Na on the first hole of sudden death to claim the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance and move to 14th in the FedExCup standings.
Na, who finished off a 64 nearly two hours earlier, pulled his tee shot left on 18 in the playoff and watched it bounce into a creek.
Matsuyama, playing without a driver after the head snapped off when he gently slammed it to the ground following his tee shot on the 72nd hole, drove into a bunker and missed the green left. But he got up-and-down from the rough, flopping his third shot to 10 feet before sinking the par putt for the win.
“I’m really, really happy,” Matsuyama said through his interpreter. “It’s a dream come true to win at Mr. Nicklaus’ course.”
With the win, Matsuyama became the first player to win the Memorial in his debut since the first year of the event in 1976. Though it was his first Memorial, it wasn't the first time the Japanese phenom had seen the host venue.
Last year, Matsuyama teamed with Adam Scott there for the International Team at The Presidents Cup.
“It had a great effect on how I played this week,” Matsuyama said of the time he spent with Scott last fall. “I owe a lot to him.”
Scott helped him again Sunday, hitting his tee shot on the par-3 12th into the water and making double bogey to drop out of a share of the lead.
The world No. 1 also bogeyed the 14th, 15th and 16th on his way to a 71 to tie for fourth.
As for Matsuyama’s driver, he could have replaced it for the playoff if he wanted. Only he didn’t have a spare one in his locker.
“I was really shocked, because I really didn't hit it that hard,” he said. “And I did okay with the 3-wood, so.”
He then beat Kevin Na on the first hole of sudden death to claim the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance and move to 14th in the FedExCup standings.
Na, who finished off a 64 nearly two hours earlier, pulled his tee shot left on 18 in the playoff and watched it bounce into a creek.
Matsuyama, playing without a driver after the head snapped off when he gently slammed it to the ground following his tee shot on the 72nd hole, drove into a bunker and missed the green left. But he got up-and-down from the rough, flopping his third shot to 10 feet before sinking the par putt for the win.
“I’m really, really happy,” Matsuyama said through his interpreter. “It’s a dream come true to win at Mr. Nicklaus’ course.”
With the win, Matsuyama became the first player to win the Memorial in his debut since the first year of the event in 1976. Though it was his first Memorial, it wasn't the first time the Japanese phenom had seen the host venue.
Last year, Matsuyama teamed with Adam Scott there for the International Team at The Presidents Cup.
“It had a great effect on how I played this week,” Matsuyama said of the time he spent with Scott last fall. “I owe a lot to him.”
Scott helped him again Sunday, hitting his tee shot on the par-3 12th into the water and making double bogey to drop out of a share of the lead.
The world No. 1 also bogeyed the 14th, 15th and 16th on his way to a 71 to tie for fourth.
As for Matsuyama’s driver, he could have replaced it for the playoff if he wanted. Only he didn’t have a spare one in his locker.
“I was really shocked, because I really didn't hit it that hard,” he said. “And I did okay with the 3-wood, so.”
NA’S CONSOLATION: The only consolation for Na? His runner-up
finish moved him high enough in the Official World Golf Ranking that
he’s now exempt for the U.S. Open. He was planning to play a 36-hole
qualifier on Monday.
“That’s a big step, obviously,” he said. “I’m playing well, so obviously I'm having a good year. Hopefully I'll get a W soon.”
As for Pinehurst?
“I think it’s a good golf course for me,” Na said. “It requires a lot of good short game, good chipping around the shaved areas. And I love chipping around the tight lies so I'm looking forward to it.”
“That’s a big step, obviously,” he said. “I’m playing well, so obviously I'm having a good year. Hopefully I'll get a W soon.”
As for Pinehurst?
“I think it’s a good golf course for me,” Na said. “It requires a lot of good short game, good chipping around the shaved areas. And I love chipping around the tight lies so I'm looking forward to it.”
“I made one bad decision,” Watson said of his tee shot on 15. “If I hit the 4-wood off the tee instead of the driver on the par 5, we make five and we win by one. But I made a double, so we lost by one.”
A victory would have been Watson’s third of the year -- one better than he has ever had in one season on the PGA TOUR.
Instead, he settled for third -- his best finish at the Memorial Tournament by 20 spots.
“It’s about getting better at the game of golf,” Watson said. “And earlier this year I haven’t played good; I love LA, but I haven’t played good there, and then somehow I won there. And here, I haven’t played good here, but I competed this week and had a chance to win. Obviously it shows my all-around game is gaining consistency."
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
players from USA unless stated
275 Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 70 67 69 69, Kevin Na 72 69 70 64 (Matsuyama won play-off)
276 Bubba Watson 66 69 69 72
278 Chris Kirk 66 70 74 68, Adam Scott (Australia) 69 70 68 71
279 Steve Stricker 71 70 69 70, Ben Curtis 69 71 69 70
280 Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 71 67 74 68, Bill Haas 73 67 72 68, Luke Guthrie 75 69 66 70,
Brendon Todd 71 68 69 72, Charl Schwartzel (S Africa) 72 69 67 72
SELECTED TOTALS
281 Paul Casey (England) 66 66 76 73 (T13)
282 Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 63 78 69 72 (T15)
283 Jordan Spieth 69 72 67 75 (T19)
287 Luke Donald (England) 71 69 73 74 (T49)
299 Gonzalo Fernandez Castano (Spain) 73 70 79 77 (T75)
Labels: US PGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, June 02, 2014
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