Hideki Matsuyama hits lowest 72-hole score in PGA Tour history – 35 under par – as he wins The Sentry by three strokes from Collin Morikawa; Japanese rises to No 5 in world rankings with third title in less than a year; Matsuyama’s 35 birdies or better also a record in PGA Tour event
Hideki Matsuyama finished with a PGA Tour 72-hole record of 35 under par to win The Sentry in Hawaii by three strokes from Collin Morikawa.
The Japanese eclipsed the 34 under par Cameron Smith had achieved to win the same event in 2022 as he picked up his 11th PGA Tour title and third in under a year.
Matsuyama shot an eight-under 65 at Kapalua on Sunday, with his bogey at the par-four seventh his only dropped shot across his final 59 holes as he claimed the $3.6m top prize.
After an eight-foot birdie putt at 18 secured a new PGA Tour record, the 32-year-old said: “I’m so happy that it went in.”
Matsuyama’s 35th hole of birdie or better – he also holed out from 107 yards for eagle at the second in his final round – broke the record of Smith three years ago and Sungjae Im in 2024 at the same venue in 2024.
Morikawa, who began the final round one shot adrift of Matsuyama, carded a six-under 67, with his title hopes fading when he had consecutive three-putts at five and six to record par and bogey respectively.
“I played a good back nine, but to win on a course like this, conditions like this, you’ve got to have it for 72 [holes]. And I had it for 65.”
Im closed with a 65 to take third place on 29 under par, while Taylor Pendrith secured an albatross – the first on the Plantation course since the PGA Tour season opener moved to Kapalua in 1999 – on the par-five fifth when he holed out from 200 yards.