Hideki Matsuyama didn’t let wild circumstances phase him one bit.
Shortly after earning a bronze medal in Paris two weeks ago, he, his caddie and his coach were all robbed at a London airport while en route to the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Matsuyama’s caddie and coach were both forced back to Japan after their passports were stolen and were unable to make the trip to the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
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Hideki Matsuyama of Japan lines up a putt on the ninth green during the final round of the St. Jude Championship on Aug. 18, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
No problem. Matsuyama won the tournament for his first victory in more than two and a half years.
On the final hole and leading by just a stroke, Matsuyama needed a par or better for the victory; a bogey would have put him in a three-way playoff with Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland.
But after finding the fairway on 18, he drilled his fairway shot just roughly 6 feet from the hole and birdied it for good measure, winning the tournament by two. He had also birdied 17 to break his tie with Schauffele and Hovland, last year’s FedEx Cup winner.
Matsuyama moved from eighth to third in the FedEx Cup standings.
Matsuyama had his wallet stolen from the airport. Thankfully, nobody took his Olympic medal.
After the incident, Matsuyama said he felt that “all the responsibility is on me.” Well, he certainly didn’t look like he had more weight on his shoulders.
Hideki Matsuyama tees off on the first hole during the final round of the St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tenn., on August 18, 2024. (Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal/USA TODAY NETWORK)
It was not an easy closeout for Matsuyama, though, as he finished at even par on the day (he was -17 for the tournament). Schauffele didn’t look like he had much of a chance entering the day, but the two-time major champion shot a 63 to put himself right in the mix. But it was not enough.
Nick Dunlap made par on his 72nd hole to clinch a spot in next week’s BMW Championship, where only the top-50 in the Cup standings will go. However, Dunlap’s par knocked out Tom Kim, now ranked 51st; he began the weekend 43rd.
Hovland’s second-place finish bumped him up 41 spots, putting him in the field for next week.
Hideki Matsuyama of Japan chips onto the seventh green during the final round of the St. Jude Championship on Aug. 18, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
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Scottie Scheffler leads everybody by nearly 1,500 points.
The BMW Championship takes place at Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado.
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