Hideki Matsuyama Accepts Tiger Challenge and Wins Tiger Event
Before the final round of the Hero World Challenge, Tiger Woods presented Hideki Matsuyama with a specific challenge: Shoot 10 under and you win the tournament.
Matsuyama wasn’t quite there yet, but he was close: 9-under through 19 holes and a final-round 64, coupled with a birdie on the first postseason hole, was enough to beat Alex Noren and a star-studded field of heroes.
“Tiger is my idol,” Matsuyama said through a translator. “A few years ago in Los Angeles we couldn’t take pictures, but nine years ago was the first time we were able to take pictures with tigers, and I think
Take a photo with a tiger [again]. That’s why I played so well against the Tigers. “
Matsuyama was referring to his victory at the 2024 Genesis Invitational, another event hosted by Woods but who withdrew that week and did not attend the winner’s ceremony. Matsuyama also won the Hero Award in 2016; Woods finished 15th that week and held on to present the trophy.
The victory was Matsuyama’s first of 2025, and while it wasn’t official by PGA Tour standards, it was an ideal way to enter the offseason after a middling season by the Japanese star’s lofty standards.
“This has been a very difficult season for me,” Matsuyama said. “[I talked to my] Working as a swing coach in Japan, I was able to play great every night. “
In the final round, Songshan’s fireworks came early and often. He had five birdies on the front nine and then hit a shot from 116 yards for a two-shot eagle on No. 10. He had seven pars and one birdie the rest of the way, which was enough to put him in a playoff with Nolen, who had birdies of 15, 16 and 18 to tie him at 22 under.
But when the pair got back to the 18th on the first sudden-death playoff hole, Matsuyama took control of the match with a marked 9-iron from 166 yards to 3 feet. When Nolen’s birdie putt slipped off the edge, Matsuyama eventually made birdie and won.
Some other winners: From Heroes:
– Nolen’s consolation prize: his fourth top-three finish in the last nine starts, plus a Masters berth.
“Especially against a guy like that, I’m really proud of myself,” Nolen said. “I know the scores may be low right now, but you’ve got to hit the ball out there. My caddy and I worked really hard this week to get everything back in order.”
– Sepp Straka is competing in stroke play for the first time since the Tour Championship in August, where he finished last shortly after the birth of his son Thomas. Straka looked sharper this round, shooting 21 under and missing the playoffs by just one shot.
“It’s been a really good year. It’s been a great year,” Straka said. “I feel like I have a lot of chances to win games. Win two games for the first time in a season. Yeah, I’m happy with the way my game is going.”
-Scottie Scheffler finished T4, his 16th consecutive T8 or better finish at the worlds start. He was frustrated that he failed to achieve a third consecutive title with the Heroes, but was pleased with the form of his game.
“I would say this is more like the beginning of the year for me than the end of the year,” Scheffler said. “You know, I took some time off after the Ryder Cup. It’s a long season again for me, the season starts in a few weeks this year without Maui, and I’ve also pushed it further away until this event, so I’m getting a good break. It’s good to be here. ”
-JJ Spaun ended a career-changing season in a tie for fourth — but his first-hand experience with Tiger Woods before Saturday’s race made me smile.
“Yeah, he watched my whole warm-up yesterday, like on my bag,” Spann said. “We talked back and forth. I was very nervous because I wasn’t used to hitting the ball in front of him. On the driving range, he really made me nervous on the first tee.
“But it’s cool, just like I loved playing in this tournament growing up in Los Angeles and loved being a part of anything Tiger did. If you’re with him, you’re in good company and you’re doing the right thing. It’s a really fun week and it’s an honor to be here.”
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