LOS ANGELES — Hideki Matsuyama fired a course record-equalling nine-under par 61 on Sunday to win the Bridgestone Invitational by five strokes for a second World Golf Championships win.
The world number three from Japan marched to the title with an eagle and seven birdies. His 16-under total of 264 put him five in front of two-time major winner Zach Johnson, who closed with a 68 for 269.
Matsuyama, the first player from Asia to win one of golf’s elite WGC titles, added the Bridgestone trophy to the HSBC Champions crown he claimed in October.
The dominant performance came in the final tune-up event for golf’s best before the last major of the season, the PGA Championship next week at Quail Hollow in North Carolina.
Matsuyama kick-started his round with an eagle at Firestone Country Club’s par-five second, where he chipped in from just off the green.
He capped his round with birdies at 16, 17 and 18 to join Jose Maria Olazabal, Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia as the only players to shoot 61 on Firestone’s South Course.
That was certainly good enough on Sunday — although Matsuyama said he had no expectation of such a round after his pre-round practice.
Nevertheless, his eagle and three birdies saw him leading when he made the turn.
American Charley Hoffman applied some pressure with five birdies his first 11 holes, but couldn’t maintain his consistency in a 66 that saw him settle for third place on 270.
‘BUZZ SAW’
Johnson, who shared the overnight lead with Belgian Thomas Pieters, had three birdies and a bogey in his two-under effort — but parred his way through the last seven holes as Matsuyama consolidated his lead.
Johnson, seeking his first win since the 2015 British Open, was encouraged by his game but said of Matsuyama: “Clearly, we all ran into a buzz saw today.”
Pieters’s one-over 71 was good enough for fourth place on 272.
Northern Ireland star Rory McIlroy carded a 60 to head a group on 273 that also included Scotland’s Russel Knox (68), England’s Paul Casey (67) and Canadian Adam Hadwin (69).
British Open champion Jordan Spieth, who will be pursuing a career Grand Slam at the PGA Championship, closed with a 68 that left him in a group sharing 13th on 276. — AFP
