MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hideki Matsuyama could feel the tournament slipping away from him, despite going 27 holes without a bogey and holding a five-shot lead just an hour earlier.
What made it more improbable was the way it ended on Sunday.
Facing a potential collapse, Matsuyama sunk a 25-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to retake the lead and followed it up with two precise shots for one last birdie to win the wild PGA Tour postseason opener at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Birdies on the final two holes, known to be challenging at the TPC Southwind, secured the Japanese star an even-par 70 and a two-shot victory over Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland in a dramatic finish.
Despite a three-putt bogey on the 12th and a tee shot into the water on the par-3 14th, Matsuyama managed to close out the tournament with birdies on the last two holes, sealing his 10th career PGA Tour victory and his first FedEx Cup playoffs title.
The final hour of the tournament was full of tension as players vied for the top spots and the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup to advance to the next week’s event.
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“I felt today’s victory slipping away at that point because 17 and 18 are difficult holes enough, let alone to birdie them,” Matsuyama said through his interpreter.
He birdied them both for his 10th career PGA Tour victory and first FedEx Cup playoffs title.
The stakes suddenly were high for everyone in the final hour of what had been a sleepy, steamy tournament. It was tight at the top, and just as tense on the bubble to determine the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup who advanced to next week.
How tense? Consider Nick Dunlap, who went from a chance to win the tournament to needing his best drive of the week just to stay in the top 50 and extend his season.
Tom Kim looked certain to finish in the top 50 until a 6-6-6 finish on his card ended his season.
Schauffele started nine shots behind and waited to see if he would get in a playoff. Hovland had a one-shot lead with two holes to play. Scottie Scheffler, who shot 66 and finished fourth, was still in the game on the 17th hole.
Ultimately, it came down to Matsuyama.
The collapse was stunning. So was the response.
“He just never seemed to let it get to him. It was really impressive,” said Dunlap, who played in the final group with Matsuyama. “That’s why he’s got a green jacket and a ton of other things. It was definitely cool for me to watch. He deserves it. He was impressive all day.
Hovland, the defending FedEx Cup champion, came into the postseason at No. 57 without a guarantee he would be able to defend his title in the BMW Championship next week.
But it wasn’t over just yet. The final group on the final hole had Matsuyama needing par to win and Dunlap needing par to move into the top 50.
SEASON OVER: Jordan Spieth announced the end of his season after one FedEx Cup playoff event.
At issue is a torn sheath in his left wrist that holds the tendon in place. It first occurred a week before the 2023 PGA Championship, and Spieth has tried various treatments to avoid surgery.
Spieth said he will have surgery soon, with an estimated recovery time of three months.
LIV: Brooks Koepka won his second LIV Golf League victory of the year with a playoff win at The Greenbrier.
