After Hideki Matsuyama won Genesis Invitational, momentum is with him at Masters

It had been 763 days since his last win.

If you were going to define comeback, you could have listed Hideki Matsuyama’s round on Sunday at the Genesis Invitational. Sitting six shots behind the leader, the Japanese golfer raced out of the gate with a winning agenda, hitting three birdies on the first three holes at the Riviera Country Club.

Once he got to the back nine, Matsuyama’s putter simply was on fire. He added six more birdies—each with their own spectacular flare—to his already-impressive three. The nine birdies clinched the win over the field by three strokes, becoming the first Japanese golfer to win the tournament.

Matsuyama told golf commentator Amanda Balionis that his back issues that have plagued him seem to be behind him now. This bodes well for the major winner as he heads to Augusta National in about six weeks to gun for a second Masters title. He was the first from his country to win The Masters in 2021 and went on to win just two more tournaments after that, one more in 2021 and the Sony Open in 2022.

The form that Matsuyama displayed in the final round at Riviera was the kind of excitable performance reminiscent of his Masters win. A relaxed, efficient Hideki is a formidable presence and the timing couldn’t have been better as we head to the majors.

“It’s really important for me to keep this momentum, especially going to Augusta,” he told Balionis afterwards, in his CBS interview.

He also said he already knew the exact spot he had picked out for the new trophy, the first he’s won in over two years.

Hideki Matsuyama is ready to win his second Masters

If it was Hideki’s day, it was the polar opposite for Patrick Cantlay, who was just bogged down by bad luck his entire final round. Having led the first three days consistently, Cantlay’s confidence left him on Sunday. While he mostly kept par on the front nine, his three bogeys on the back nine destroyed his chances, with the California native falling back to fourth, where he tied with Adam Hadwin and Xander Schauffele.

There were a few other weird moments at the Genesis Invitational. Despite sponsoring the event and the buzz surrounding his return to golf after ankle surgery, Tiger Woods ended up contracting the flu and withdrawing on the second day.

Then there was Jordan Spieth, who played well enough to be in contention by the second day. However, his costly mistake of signing his scorecard with the wrong score caused his disqualification from the tournament.

Those anomalies aside, the Genesis Invitational ended on such a high with Matsuyama’s surprise victory. The 31-year-old Japanese golfer played one of the best rounds of his life, ending up just one stroke from tying Ted Tryba’s course record of 61. It was a beautiful thing to witness and the astonishing comeback stunned in a way that was both astounding and bold.

As we get closer to The Masters in April, Hideki Matsuyama is back in the mix and will certainly be on everyone’s radar.