Monday, February 19th, 2024 Edition
Hideki Matsuyama closes with 62 to win Genesis Invitational
– by ESPN News Service
Per ESPN: “The conversation began seven years ago when Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama won his fourth PGA Tour title to pass Shigeki Maruyama, his mentor. Maruyama told him the ultimate mark was nine tour wins, a record for most by an Asian-born player….”
B&B POV: Ichiban Hideki woke up yesterday six-back from the human Iron Byron, Patrick Cantlay; and proceeded to play so well that 7+ hours later he lifted the Big-A Trophy on 18 green with a resounding 3-stroke victory. That’s a Jordanesque 7th game Finals performance (Bull, not Longhorn). With the win, his 9th on tour, he pocketed $4M and jumped 35 spots in the OWGR – from 55th to 20th. Did anyone in the sports world have a better Sunday than Hideki? No way.
PGA Tour needed a ‘signature’ winner at Riviera, and it got one in Hideki Matsuyama
– Tod Leonard / Golf Digest
Per Tod: “What transpired on Sunday at Riviera Country Club is exactly how world-class golf tournaments are supposed to play out. A major champion from a golf-crazed country crafts a mind-boggling charge on a classic track to win a grand prize…”
B&B POV: The LA Open (Genesis, thanks for sponsoring!) was set up to be the perfect example and execution of a New Age PGA TOUR Signature event. Location Riv/LA, check. Field strength, check. Tiger Woods teeing it up, check. A Sunday leaderboard full of stars and storylines, a resounding check.
Here’s what we loved:
- Hideki’s victory. He’s such a good guy. And his 62 on Sunday was the best golf we’ve seen played under pressure on the final day of a top-shelf event since Harman’s run at the Open Championship last summer
- Even though Tiger had to WD and Jordan earned a DQ (In & Out barking back), there were plenty of stars who made the cut and contended
- Riviera. Sublime. A top 3 tour stop that always titillates on TV.
WITB Winner’s bag: Hideki Matsuyama’s clubs from the 2024 Genesis Invitational
– Chris Lohman / B&B
Per Chris: Hideki is Srixon’s #1 PGA TOUR ambassador. And only competes with Brooksie for being their most popular worldwide.
Last week his set-up featured five manufacturers. Srixon, TaylorMade, Cobra, Cleveland, and Titleist. At five, that’s the most we’ve seen a PGA TOUR/LIV winner carry that has a club contract since Hideki himself won the Sony Open in 2022…
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2024 Genesis Invitational prize money payouts for each PGA Tour player
– by Adam Woodard / Golfweek
Per Adam: “It pays to play well on the PGA Tour. Just ask this week’s winner, Hideki Matsuyama…”
John Daly makes 11 on hole, withdraws — then shares the wincing reason why
– by Nick Piastowski / GOLF
Per Nick: “John Daly, wearing a blue polo and multi-colored shorts, hit one driver. He hit an iron — with a cigarette in his mouth. In the video shared by the PGA Tour Champions circuit, he was shown hitting another driver. And another. And another. On the last one, he joked to someone nearby…“
B&B POV: This weekend, the PGA TOUR Champions’ The Chubb Classic was rain shortened to 36 holes and the final results were overshadowed by Hideki’s victory at Riv. Stephen Ames may have won the Chubb, but the only storyline out of Naples, FL to get significant coverage was Big John Daly posting an 11 on a hole Saturday, and then a handful of holes later jumping into his cart and signing WD on his card.
This was far from the first time JD in a pro tourney had posted a double-digit single-hole score. However, this time was one of the more bittersweet occurrences. Sadly, he couldn’t finish the tourney, even though he was playing some decent golf. But on a positive note, after his social media chronicled him receiving a series of pain-relieving cortisone shots, Daly was off and running to the next Champions tour event in Morocco, recharged. Earlier this year we forecasted JD winning a Champions tour event. We still stand by that prognostication. Let’s gooooo!
FEATURED CURATED LESSON
‘John Daly says to choke down and hit 3/4 shots to play better golf’
JD doesn’t want you to always Grip It & Rip It
FEATURED GIVEAWAY
Tee it up with a PGA TOUR Champions Professional in the Galleri Classic Pro-Am
Play Wednesday, March 27th on the famed Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club
The winner’s Pro-Am prize includes:
- An invitation to the Pairings Party on Tuesday, March 26th
- Valet parking
- Food and Beverages
- A premium tee prize package
- Two weekly clubhouse tickets March 29-31, 2024