Hideki Matsuyama wins opening leg of PGA Tour playoffs - ESPN

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Japan's Hideki Matsuyama survived a shaky back nine to shoot even-par 70 Sunday at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and win the opening leg of the PGA Tour's season-ending playoffs at TPC Southwind.

Matsuyama finished at 17-under 263, two strokes better than World No. 2 Xander Schauffele (63) and defending FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland of Norway (66). Matsuyama used back-to-back birdies at Nos. 17 and 18 to secure the victory.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (66) finished alone in fourth at 14-under 266.

Matsuyama, bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics, carried a five-stroke lead into Sunday — the largest 54-hole advantage of his career — but he faltered down the stretch. After playing his first 11 holes at 2 under, he came unraveled. He endured a bogey-par-bogey-double bogey stretch from Nos. 12-15 to allow Schauffele and Hovland to briefly pass him.

But Matsuyama recovered with a clutch 26-foot birdie putt on 17 and a 6-footer at 18, the toughest hole on the course.

Hovland had back-to-back birdies at 15 and 16 to get to 16 under par and surpass Matsuyama, who enjoyed a five-stroke lead at the turn.

Schauffele was at 8 under — nine strokes behind Matsuyama — to begin the round. He made a charge with a bogey-free round and nearly chipped in off the green on 18 to make the final hole tougher for Matsuyama. Schauffele's chip from 75 feet struck the flag.

«It was a head-down day, just hit as many good shots as you can,» Schauffele said. «You're so far back [to start].»

Matsuyama earned the 10th PGA Tour title of his career. It came after a pre-tournament robbery in London that left him without his caddie and coach, who lost their passports in the robbery and had to return to Japan. Matsuyama was forced to