Collin Morikawa left all the things on the market.
The one drawback was so, too, did Hideki Matsuyama – after which some.
“Excuse my language, however f—,” stated Morikawa, who turned within the fourth greatest 72-hole efficiency in relation to par in PGA Tour historical past, solely to see his 32-under mark end three photographs shy of Matsuyama’s 35 beneath, a freshly minted report that additionally gave Matsuyama the title at The Sentry, the Tour’s annual season-opening shootout at Kapalua.
Morikawa let the expletive slip by way of a large smile; he knew there wasn’t a lot else he may’ve finished.
Matsuyama matched Morikawa’s 11-under 62 on Saturday earlier than carding his third 65 of the week, which noticed unusually calm circumstances that made the Plantation Course, house to seven of the Tour’s eight 30-under-or-better performances, much more gettable. Matsuyama’s remaining spherical was highlighted by a hole-out eagle from 107 yards on the par-4 third gap and 7 birdies, working Matsuyama’s match complete of birdies or higher to 35, one other new Tour report.
“35 beneath par, that’s low,” Morikawa continued. “I imply, he was matching me yesterday shot for shot, and I felt like I used to be enjoying lights out, proper? Like, sure, you can go away some photographs on the market, however you shoot 11 beneath on any golf course, you’re going to be glad, proper? As we speak he simply by no means let up. You then get to the third gap and the man holes it. I simply knew I needed to be on high of all the things, and simply form of let a number of slip on that entrance 9.
“Performed a very good again 9, however to win on a course like this, circumstances like this, you bought to have it for 72, and I had it for 65.”
Hideki Matsuyama completed at 35 beneath par on the Plantation Course at Kapalua to set a brand new PGA Tour scoring report.
Morikawa has now twice completed runner-up at Kapalua, his first since 2023 when Jon Rahm closed in 63 to clip Morikawa, the chief by six photographs after three rounds, by two.
This one didn’t sting fairly as unhealthy.
“It’s just a little higher than two years in the past, proper?” Morikawa stated. “I imply, I’d have needed to shoot – he shot, what, 8 beneath in the present day? I’d have needed to shoot 10 in the present day. I don’t know what number of 10-unders had been shot in the present day.”
(Reply: One, by Justin Thomas, who completed means again in a share of twenty sixth.)
And so, Morikawa, who’s coming off simply the second winless 12 months of his professional profession, may solely take this one in stride and hope that the following time he tees it up, possible at Pebble Seashore in a number of weeks, he’s able to duplicate a lot of what he displayed at Kapalua.
“We’re going to go on a roll fairly quickly,” Morikawa predicted, “it’s simply hopefully sooner somewhat than later.”
