Matsuyama made successive birdies over the final two holes of regulation at the TPC Scottsdale to force the playoff as he and Fowler had matching 67s for a 14-under-par 270, two strokes clear of the American Harris English.
They opened the sudden death playoff by playing the par-four 18th twice, matching each other first with par and then birdie, before continuing at the par-four 10th, which they both parred.
The playoff finally ended at the par-four 17th, where Fowler drove into a water hazard for the second time in barely an hour and could not save par. Matsuyama then had the luxury of two-putting from five feet for his second victory on the PGA Tour, following the 2014 Memorial.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama made par at the fourth extra hole to clinch an unlikely playoff victory over Rickie Fowler at the Phoenix Open on Sunday.
Matsuyama made successive birdies over the final two holes of regulation at the TPC Scottsdale to force the playoff as he and Fowler had matching 67s for a 14-under-par 270, two strokes clear of the American Harris English.
They opened the sudden death playoff by playing the par-four 18th twice, matching each other first with par and then birdie, before continuing at the par-four 10th, which they both parred.
The playoff finally ended at the par-four 17th, where Fowler drove into a water hazard for the second time in barely an hour and could not save par. Matsuyama then had the luxury of two-putting from five feet for his second victory on thePGA Tour, following the 2014 Memorial.
