Collin Morikawa left every thing on the market.
The one downside was so, too, did Hideki Matsuyama – after which some.
“Excuse my language, however f—,” stated Morikawa, who turned within the fourth finest 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 underneath, a freshly minted document that additionally gave Matsuyama the title at The Sentry, the Tour’s annual season-opening shootout at Kapalua.
Morikawa let the expletive slip by a large smile; he knew there wasn’t a lot else he might’ve accomplished.
Matsuyama matched Morikawa’s 11-under 62 on Saturday earlier than carding his third 65 of the week, which noticed unusually calm situations that made the Plantation Course, house to seven of the Tour’s eight 30-under-or-better performances, much more gettable. Matsuyama’s last 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 document.
“35 underneath par, that’s low,” Morikawa continued. “I imply, he was matching me yesterday shot for shot, and I felt like I used to be taking part in lights out, proper? Like, sure, you may go away some photographs on the market, however you shoot 11 underneath on any golf course, you’re going to be completely happy, 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 prime of every thing, and simply sort of let a number of slip on that entrance 9.
“Performed an excellent again 9, however to win on a course like this, situations like this, you bought to have it for 72, and I had it for 65.”
Hideki Matsuyama completed at 35 underneath par on the Plantation Course at Kapalua to set a brand new PGA Tour scoring document.
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 dangerous.
“It’s a bit of higher than two years in the past, proper?” Morikawa stated. “I imply, I’d have needed to shoot – he shot, what, 8 underneath right this moment? I’d have needed to shoot 10 right this moment. I don’t know what number of 10-unders have been shot right this moment.”
Reply: None.
And so, Morikawa, who’s coming off simply the second winless yr of his professional profession, might solely take this one in stride and hope that the following time he tees it up, doubtless 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.”
