Matsuyama romps to five-stroke victory at Bridgestone

Hideki Matsuyama turned a terrible warm-up into one of the best rounds of his career, matching the course record with a nine-under-par 61 to charge to an emphatic five-stroke victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio on Sunday.

Starting the day two strokes from the lead, Matsuyama never looked back after chipping in for an unlikely 60-foot eagle at the par-five second at Firestone Country Club.


He added seven birdies and turned the final round into a one-man exhibition, offering a timely reminder of why he is likely to become the first Japanese player to win a men's major.

Arriving at the 16th tee, Matsuyama knew he needed to birdie the final three holes to equal the course record held by Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal.

And he responded to the challenge with a series of precise approach shots, completing his closing birdie hat-trick by draining a six-footer at the par-four 18th.

Matsuyama finished at 16-under 264, while American Zach Johnson (68) claimed second on 11 under with his compatriot Charley Hoffman (66) another shot back in third.

“I played with Tiger four years ago when he shot 61 so I knew 61 was the number today,” the Japanese world number three told CBS sports via an interpreter. “I knew if I birdied 16, 17 and 18 I could get there.”

His triumphant finish was a far cry from his pre-round practice session, during which his swing felt completely out-of-synch.

“You wouldn’t have believed how I warmed up this morning,” he said.

“I was not hitting it good on the range. I did hit some good shots (during the round) but I was nervous all the way around because I really wasn’t sure of my swing today.”

It was Matsuyama's second World Golf Championships victory, after the HSBC Champions in Shanghai last year.

The 25-year-old will head to Quail Hollow in North Carolina for the final major of the year, the PGA Championship starting on Thursday, as one of the favourites after top-15 finishes in the previous three majors this year.

Some other big names also will take positive vibes to the PGA Championship, including Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy who tied for fifth at seven-under in his first start with new caddie Harry Diamond.

“We’re working well out there today and I’m excited to be with him again next week,” McIlroy said.

American Jordan Spieth also had a solid week in preparation for a tilt at clinching the career grand slam of all four majors after finishing equal 13th at four-under.

“My game improved each and every day, even though my score didn’t reflect it today so I’m really excited going into Quail Hollow,” Spieth said.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Neil Robinson)

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Johnson holds on to beat Rahm in Match Play final

American Dustin Johnson became the first player to win all four World Golf Championships events when he claimed the WGC-Dell Match Play in Texas on Sunday.

World number one and top seed Johnson beat Spanish 21st seed Jon Rahm 1-up in the 18-hole final at Austin Country Club.

Johnson built a 5-up lead after eight holes and held on, though only barely, after a late Rahm rally that cut the lead to 1-up after 16 holes.

“Today was a really tough day. I’m proud of the way I played, the way I stayed in there, even though he (Rahm) made some birdies on the back nine,” Johnson told NBC television after sinking his winning putt from inside three feet at the final hole.

Johnson earlier barely survived his semi-final against 54th seed Hideto Tanihara, winning 1-up after the Japanese player missed a good chance to win the 18th hole.

Rahm beat American 42nd seed Bill Haas 3&2 in the other semi.


It was Johnson's third consecutive victory, after he won the event formerly known as the Los Angeles Open and then the WGC-Mexico Championship.

Johnson's five WGC titles puts him second behind Tiger Woods, who has 18.

Johnson said the key to victory had been avoiding mistakes.

“I didn’t give him any holes, except for 10 (where) I three-putted. It was tough out there. The greens got really fast, the wind was affecting all the putts. Jon played really well. I just didn’t really give him anything.”

In a final that matched two of the game’s longest hitters, Johnson looked set to cruise to victory thanks to his big early lead, but it got interesting near the end.

Rahm, 3-down with four holes left, came to life, winning the par-four 15th with a birdie before taking the par-five 16th with another birdie, sinking a 30-footer after an astonishing second shot from the rough that he somehow threaded through an oak tree.

Rahm then drove through the green at the par-four 18th, ending up over the back, from where, perhaps distracted by a loud sudden banging noise just as he started his swing, he misjudged his 80-foot chip shot and could only par, allowing Johnson to escape with the win.

In the match for third place, Haas beat Tanihara 2&1, though the loser at least enjoyed a hole-in-one at the par-three seventh.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Gene Cherry)

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Johnson handed major challenge at WGC-Dell Match Play

World number one Dustin Johnson has the hottest hand in golf and will need to keep that form heading into Wednesday's WGC-Dell Match Play tournament after being grouped with a trio of major champions.

Johnson, who has won on his last two starts, has been placed in a group with U.S. PGA Championship title holder Jimmy Walker, twice major winner Martin Kaymer and former U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson.

They represent one of 16 four-player groups that will play round-robin matches from Wednesday through Friday at the Austin Country Club with the winners of each group advancing to a single-elimination bracket at the weekend.


"I've got a lot of confidence in the game," Johnson. "I feel like I'm controlling my ball very well and I feel I’m starting to drive a little straighter."

Defending champion Jason Day and Marc Leishman, fresh off a victory at Bay Hill, are the two Australians in the event and they have been grouped with England's Lee Westwood and American Pat Perez.

The winner of their group will face one of Phil Mickelson, J.B. Holmes, Daniel Berger or South Korean Kim Si-woo.

"When it comes time to play match play you've just got to go out and try and beat them," said world number three Day. "You're not really friends for 18 holes and then when you get off the course you're back to being mates."

Rory McIlroy, who lost to Day in last year's semi-final but replaced the Australian as world number two this week, has been impressive since returning from a rib injury, finishing in a tie for seventh and share of fourth in his last two tournaments.

The 27-year-old Northern Irishman is grouped with Argentine Emiliano Grillo, American Gary Woodland and Dane Soren Kjeldsen.

Japan's Hideki Matsuyama has one of the most difficult draws as he will face South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen, who is 13-3 in this event over the last three years, veteran American Jim Furyk and Britain's Ross Fisher, who tied for third at the WGC-Mexico.

Should Matsuyama advance from the group stage, he could face twice U.S. Masters winner Bubba Watson in the round of 16, twice major winner and former world number one Jordan Spieth in the quarter-finals and Johnson in the semi-finals.

With only two weeks to go until the Masters, only four of the world's top 50 golfers have opted to skip this event to prioritise their preparations for the year's first major.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Nick Mulvenney)

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WGC specialist Woods coasts to seven-shot win

AKRON, Ohio - Tiger Woods eased to a seven-shot victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday, earning his 79th win on the PGA Tour and sounding an ominous warning to his rivals ahead of next week's PGA Championship.

Seven strokes ahead overnight, the world number one left an elite field trailing in his wake as he signed off with an even-par 70 at Firestone Country Club to land a record eighth title in the World Golf Championships (WGC) event.

Woods played rock-steady golf on a warm, blustery afternoon at one his favourite venues, barely making a mistake on the way to a 15-under total of 265 for his fifth PGA Tour title this year in only 11 starts.

With his eighth victory at Firestone, he equalled the mark he already shares with Sam Snead for most wins at a single PGA Tour event.

It also leaves him just three shy of matching the Hall of Famer's record 82 career PGA Tour victories. Since turning professional in late 1996, Woods has won at least five times on the U.S. circuit in 10 separate seasons.

"The total body of work is pretty good," Woods told reporters after earning the winner's cheque for $1.5 million.

"One thing I'm proud of is obviously how many times I've won, how many World Golf Championships I've won, but also how many years I've won five or more times in a season.

"That's something I'm very proud of is how many tournaments I've been able to win consistently, year-in and year-out, and then how many World Golf Championships I've been able to win."

Fellow American Keegan Bradley, the defending champion, closed with a five-birdie 67 to share second place at eight under with Swede Henrik Stenson (70).

"It was a really weird feeling because it was like a tournament within a tournament," said Bradley. "Coming in second is a big accomplishment considering Tiger had such a big lead.

"It's very tough to give Tiger that many shots. The round he shot on Friday was pretty special. You know, I hate to sit here and go on and on about how good he is, but he is."

EFFECTIVELY OVER

The tournament was effectively over after Woods distanced himself from his rivals with a stunning nine-under 61 on Friday and virtually every spectator on Sunday had eyes firmly focused on the world number one.

The galleries were lined three-to-four deep on the right side of the fairway before Woods teed off in the final round, fans having welcomed him with shouts of "Go Tiger" and "79".

After using an iron off the tee at the par-four first to find the left portion of the fairway, he struck his approach just short of the green into the rough from where he chipped five feet past the hole and made the putt to save par.

Wearing his trademark Sunday red shirt, Woods played solidly for the next eight holes, lining up mid-range birdie putts on each green while squandering his only close opportunity from six feet at the second.

Out in level-par 35, Woods recorded his only birdie of the day at the par-four 10th, sinking a seven-footer to briefly stretch his advantage to nine strokes.

The quality of his iron play was stellar all day and it came as a surprise when he made his only error of the round with a three-putt bogey from long range at the par-four 14th for his lead to be cut to eight.

That lead then shrank to seven when Bradley birdied the par-four 17th but Woods safely parred his last four holes to complete the 18th WGC win of his career in 42 starts.

"Being as blustery as it was, it was going to be really hard for someone to shoot 62 or 63 today," said Woods, who after his round picked up his young son, Charlie, before setting off to sign his card.

"If I didn't give any shots away today and played my game and shot even par or better, I'd have to force these guys to go and shoot something super low on a golf course that wasn't going to give it up under these conditions."

U.S. Open winner Justin Rose carded a 69 to finish at one under, two strokes better than British Open champion Phil Mickelson, who said he lacked the requisite sharpness all week as he signed off with a 71.

Northern Irish world number three Rory McIlroy closed with a 72 to end a largely disappointing week as he prepares for his title defence at the PGA Championship.

"I keep saying my game doesn't feel too far away," said McIlroy. "It's obviously not where I want it to be, but it's not a million miles away." (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Julian Linden)

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Tiger aims to regain winning ways at happy hunting ground

Frustrated after a wasted opportunity to win last week's British Open, Tiger Woods will be back in PGA Tour action for next week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at one of his favourite venues as he hunts a fifth victory this year.

American Woods has triumphed a record seven times at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio where he will also be looking to build momentum for the season's final major, the PGA Championship to be played the following week.

"This is one of my favourite courses," world number one Woods said on his website (http://web.tigerwoods.com/) about the tree-lined venue for the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) event.


"There is nothing tricky about it; everything is right in front of you. And the fans do a great job of supporting the event."

Woods will aim to return to the PGA Tour winner's circle, having tied for sixth in last week's British Open at Muirfield in Scotland where his bid for a 15th major title unravelled in the final round as he closed with a three-over-par 74.

He was happy with his overall game at Muirfield, though he struggled with his putting, especially in the final round.

"The whole week, I really hit so many good shots and really had control of my ball," the 37-year-old told reporters. "The frustrating part is I didn't get the (putting) speed.

"I'm very pleased with the way I'm playing, there's no doubt. I'm right there. We have the World Golf Championship here at (Firestone) a golf course I like, and I've had a little bit of success on it. I'm looking forward to that."

Woods has not won a major title since his remarkable playoff victory at the 2008 U.S. Open where he was severely hampered by a double stress fracture in his left shinbone.

However, he has displayed excellent form on the PGA Tour this year, winning four times in just 10 starts, and ranks first in FedExCup points, money earnings and scoring.

The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational will be played from Aug. 1-4. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Frank Pingue)

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