Kapalua, Hawaii, United States: While the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) class of 2025 prepares to defend its Bonallack Trophy title, former representative Hideki Matsuyama completed a dominant and record-breaking march to an 11th PGA Tour victory.
The 32-year-old Japanese held off fellow Major champion Collin Morikawa with a closing eight-under 65 at The Sentry which helped establish a new 72-hole scoring record in relation to par with his 35-under 257 aggregate in the US$20 million Signature event.
Matsuyama, who won twice last season to break a tie with Korean KJ Choi for most PGA Tour titles by an Asian golfer, also hit 35 birdies or better throughout a glorious week, breaking the previous mark by one. He led the tournament from the second day.
“I knew Collin was going to play good, so I was going to say: ‘Hey I’m going to shoot 10-under today’. That was the attitude I had,” said Matsuyama, who starred for the APGC’s Bonallack Trophy team in 2012 before he turned pro.
“That last putt, it felt like if I make it, it’ll give me the record. I’m so happy that it went in,” added Matsuyama, who earned 700 FedEx Cup points and US$3.6 million. He also surpassed the previous Tour record of 34-under set at Kapalua by Australian Cameron Smith in 2022, and the 34 birdies or better record in a tournament held by Korean Im Sung-jae and Smith.
Im ensured a memorable week for Asian golf by finishing solo third for his fourth top-10 in five starts at The Sentry after he closed with a bogey-free 65 to finish six shots behind the 2025 season’s first champion at the par-73 Plantation Course.
Leading by one over Morikawa into the final round, Matsuyama enjoyed a flying start by holing out a wedge shot from just over 100 yards for an eagle on the par-four, third hole.
When Morikawa, who was chasing a seventh career win, applied pressure with birdies on 10 and 11, the Japanese responded with birdies of his own on 11 and 12 to maintain his advantage. He eventually cruised to a three-shot success and became the seventh player to complete a Hawaiian double, having won the 2022 Sony Open in Hawaii.
For Matsuyama, who will make the short hop to the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu starting Thursday, it was his third victory over the past 10 months and will lift him to fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
Matsuyama, who soared as high as number two in the OWGR in 2017, said: “September, November, December, I didn’t play too much golf, so I kind of forgot about the last two (wins). So I think this is kind of the beginning.
“I have goals within myself. I’m not going to say it right here, but there is unfinished business that I have set for myself that I still am striving to get to.”
Morikawa was disappointed not to exert greater pressure on his rival when the door was ajar. “Going through the shots I left out there, there was a good handful that I wish I could have back. It’s going to take me a few hours or a day to get over it. It’s tough to win – 35-under par is low. He (Matsuyama) was matching me yesterday shot for shot, and I felt like I was playing lights out. Today he just never let up,” said the American.
Two-time Tour winner Im sank eight birdies for another bogey-free card as he recorded his lowest four-day score at Kapalua with 29-under. “I feel great. It was a decent finish for the first event and I hope it continues,” said the 26-year-old.
“I need to try to step it up as this season continues. My last win was about three years ago. I wish to win again this season, but winning is not easy here. There are a lot of skilled players as well as young and new players who have potential.”
