We’re barely halfway through January and it’s safe to say we’ve already seen one of the best shots of the entire year! Hideki Matsuyama’s 3 wood into the 18th hole during the Sony Open playoff will undoubtedly go down as one of the shots of 2022 – not just because of the skill involved but also due to the fact it won him his eighth PGA Tour title. The Masters champion, hitting into the late afternoon Hawaiian sun, flushed his 3 wood off the deck, producing a massive 177mph ball speed, and left himself a tap-in eagle to sink Russell Henley’s hopes of winning as the Japanese star took home the Sony Open.
Matsuyama came from five back on the final nine thanks to a closing 31 that featured four birdies and five pars, including a birdie at the 18th in regulation to get into the playoff. The 29-year-old has now won 17 times as a professional and returns to the world’s top 10.
Watch the incredible shot below:
UNREAL SHOT. 😳 Hideki delivers a beauty from 277 yards out on the first playoff hole! pic.twitter.com/qT8ByiAVrmJanuary 17, 2022
“It was a perfect number for me for a cut 3-wood, 276 yards left to right, follow wind. I knew the green was soft enough to hold it, and I was able to pull it off,” Matsuyama said of the shot. “To be honest I didn’t even see it. But everybody started cheering and I knew it was good.”
“I don’t know how long it will take to get over it,” a downbeat Russell Henley said after defeat. “I definitely take confidence from the tournament, but it really stings to not come away with the win. That’s just part of it.
“It stings. I played some great golf. I feel like I was in it the entire time mentally this time. I didn’t have too many mental lapses like I have other tournaments where I’ve been close to the lead in the last couple years.”
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