Matsuyama Survives in Memphis

August 18, 2024

By Carter Rennyson

Hideki Matsuyama was in control of the FedEx St. Jude Classic for the first three rounds. However, he found himself one shot behind Viktor Hovland on the 16th tee late Sunday afternoon. Matsuyama managed to birdie the final two holes to win by two shots over a strong field in Memphis. This victory marked Matsuyama’s first playoff win of his career and propelled him into the top three of the FedEx Cup standings.

Heading into the week, the story for Matsuyama was the adversity he faced when his caddie and coach had their passports stolen in London, preventing them from returning to the U.S. for the playoffs. Despite these challenges, Matsuyama played phenomenal golf over the first three days and survived a mid-round slump to win. He sealed his victory with a beautiful approach shot on the 72nd hole to close things out. 

This week’s event featured the top 70 players from the regular season at TPC Southwind. The group chasing Matsuyama included Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns, and Nick Dunlap.

Hovland, who has struggled to meet expectations this season, nearly won his third playoff event in a row after dominating the last two events last season. He held the solo lead before bogeying the 17th and finishing at 15 under.

Schauffele, who has won two majors this season, shot a 63 and posted 15 under. He could only watch as Matsuyama made a long birdie putt on 17 and stiffed his approach shot on 18. Schauffele is currently second in the FedEx Cup standings, behind Scottie Scheffler. With another strong performance at East Lake, where he has had great success, Schauffele could surpass Scheffler.

Scheffler had another solid week, finishing inside the top 10 for the 15th time in 17 events this season. Scheffler has had one of the best golf seasons in recent years and will look to build on his remarkable season in Colorado next week.

Nick Dunlap needed a strong finish this week to qualify for the BMW Championship, which features the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings. He entered the tournament ranked 67th, despite having two victories this year. His first win came as an amateur, so he wasn’t awarded the FedEx Cup points associated with that victory. He picked up his second victory last month at the Barracuda Championship but still needed a top finish to qualify for next week. Dunlap held on during the tough back nine and posted 13 under to move into the top 50. 

Next week, the PGA Tour returns to Colorado for the first time since 2014. Castle Pines Golf Club, located just outside of Denver, will host the BMW Championship. In recent years, the BMW Championship has featured some of the best golf of the season, including Jon Rahm’s 70-foot tournament-winning putt, Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau’s epic six-hole playoff, and Viktor Hovland’s miraculous back-nine 28 in last year’s final round. This year promises another exciting chapter in the FedEx Cup Playoffs and a memorable return to Castle Pines.