35-under! '&@¢# ... that's low'
Matsuyama sets scoring record in season opener; season finale might undergo change
Hideki Matsuyama proved uncatchable for Collin Morikawa (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Collin Morikawa led or was near the top of most of the statistical categories at Kapalua, shot 32-under par for four rounds and had plenty of reason to feel good about his performance in the season-opening Sentry.
But the two-time major champion could only mutter an f-bomb when he was approached by Golf Channel afterward, in awe of the performance by Hideki Matusyama, who set a PGA Tour 72-hole scoring record at 35-under par.
That’s nearly a birdie every two holes for the Japanese star, who won for the 11th time in his PGA Tour career and kicked off the 2025 season on Maui in style.
“Excuse my language, but f---!” Morikawa said. “35-under par! That’s low.’’
Yes it is.
Matsuyama’s final score of 257 broke by one stroke the record held by Cam Smith, set at the same tournament in 2022. His eight-foot birdie putt on the last was his 35th birdie or better for the event, setting another record.
“That last putt, it felt like if I make it it’s going to be the record. I’m so happy it went in,” said Matsuyama.
And his victory was his third in the last 10 months, to go along with wins at the FedEx St. Jude — a playoff event — in August and a victory win last February at the Genesis Invitational — another signature event. He won $3.6 million from the $20 million purse.
Morikawa finished second without shooting worse than 66 all week. He had missed just two greens through the first 54 holes, then missed the first two of the final round while also seeing his putter go cold at times — a familiar flaw in his repertoire. He tried to make it interesting over the back nine and got as close as two strokes with three to play, but it was too late and Matsuyama wasn’t faltering.
Morikawa trailed by just one through 54 holes as both he and Matsuyama shot a third-round 62s on the par-73 course to set up what could have been a tense Sunday showdown until Matsuyama holed out from 107 yards for eagle on the third hole to build a little separation.
A rare, calm weak on Maui without much wind led to the low scoring.
“This is a tournament that I’ve always wanted to win, it’s a special place here, so definitely happy to have won here,” Matsuyama said.
In addition to his two victories last year, Matsuyama also took bronze at the Men’s Olympic Golf tournament outside of Paris. He began the week ranked sixth in the Official World Golf Ranking. He also finished sixth at the U.S. Open and was tied for ninth at the Tour Championship.
The event was missing reigning player of the year and FedEx Cup champion Scottie Scheffler, who suffered a freak hand injury while making Christmas dinner that required surgery to remove broken glass. He is hopeful of a return at the American Express.
Xander Schauffele, ranked No. 2 in the world, was never in contention and tied for 30th at 17-under par — or 18 shots behind Matsuyama.
After a massive East Lake course recreation in 2024, is more Tour Championship change coming? (Daily Drive)
Season-ending format changes coming?
The first tournament of 2025 was barely underway when news broke about a format change for the last event of the season.
The Athletic reported that the PGA Tour is in discussions about scrapping the starting strokes format at the Tour Championship in favor of perhaps a “bracket-style” event that includes medal and match play with byes going to the top players.
The Associated Press later reported that while discussions are taking place, no proposals have been sent to the Player Advisory Committee and that such a change might not occur before the August tournament at East Lake in Atlanta, Ga.
Clearly the starting strokes format — where players start the 72-hole event at different levels under par based on their FedEx Cup points position — has lost favor. Scottie Scheffler, who won the Tour Championship in 2024 after starting at 10-under par, called the format “silly” and said that it’s not really a season-long race when the winner is determined in such a manner.
But going to match play is far from a done deal. There’s a reason there is no match play event on the schedule — TV is not a big fan of the format that ultimately comes down to just two subjects to follow. And players who ultimately will have a say are not necessarily on board with such a format, either.
“I’m pretty much open-minded to explore anything but I’m unsure about that,” Adam Scott told Golfweek at The Sentry after reports surfaced about a chance to a bracket-style event. “It’s hard to see where match play fits into pro golf. We play the whole season one way and then have the final week be head-to-head match play, I mean, we can have a look at it, but you’d have to kind of sell me on that just a little more.”
Scott, 44, is a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board. And the ideas have yet to reach that stage. Scott believes the old format — which saw a Tour Championship winner and a FedEx Cup winner based on the season-long points — is still worth considering.
Many times, it was the same player, but not always. But FedEx, which pays the bills, wanted one winner and that idea won out.
“It’s just my point of view that the Tour Championship has been a legacy-type event and that’s kind of been lost in the FedEx Cup,” Scott said. “It went from two tournaments, two trophies in that one week to now just one trophy. And I understand why, because it was getting confusing, but there seems to be a feeling like it’ll be nice to kind of reestablish the Tour Championship as that kind of legacy-type event.”
Change is coming. But how soon — and in what form — remains to be seen.