Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama with tournament host Tiger Woods and the 2025 Hero World Challenge trophy at Albany in the Bahamas on Sunday. Image courtesy TGRF.
By Rahul Banerji
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama needed a playoff win over Alex Noren of Sweden to seal his second Hero World Challenge title at Albany in the Bahamas on Sunday.
It was for the first time in a decade that a playoff was needed to crown the champion, a TGR Foundation statement said .
Playing together each other all day, Matsuyama (68-66-68-64) and Noren (69-66-67-64) both went 8 under par to finish tied on 22 under 266 after 72 holes.
On the first playoff hole, the par-4 18th, Matsuyama hit his 166-yard approach shot with a 9-iron to three feet and tapped in to seal the win.
The victory was the Japanese superstar’s second after 2016. Matsuyama began the season in Hawaii with a win at The Sentry, and he closed out the year with victory at Albany.
The turning point for Matsuyama came on the 10th hole when he hit an approach shot from 116 yards, spun it back to find the cup for eagle.
Clean card
That followed a bogey-free front nine where for the third consecutive day, he went 5 under on the front nine.
“A lot of luck with No. 10 eagle, and also the playing with Alex,” Matsuyama said of his final round.
“Alex played well, like, last four, five holes, so it was good mood playing together.
“No. 10, to win we need a birdie. Before he hits the second shot, Alex hits really good shot and I got the great imagination from Alex and able to hit a great shot.”
The triumph was the third of Matsuyama’s career at a Tiger Woods-hosted tournament. The 2016 victory at Albany was his first, and he followed up with The Genesis Invitational in 2024 in Los Angeles.
“Tiger is my idol,” Matsuyama said of the tournament host.
“Nine years ago was the first time able to take picture with Tiger and I want to take picture with Tiger more. That’s why I play well at Tiger’s events.”
For Matsuyama to emerge victorious, he had to move past a crowded leaderboard.
He set out on Sunday tied for third, three shots back of 54-hole leader Sepp Straka. Two-time defending champion and world no. 1 Scottie Scheffler was two shots ahead of Matsuyama and Noren to start the day.
Tight finish
Straka finished one shot behind the top two in third place, while Scheffler tied for fourth with J.J. Spaun.
US Open winner this year, Spaun made his Hero World Challenge debut this week after a memorable year.
Having grown up in Los Angeles, Spaun attended the Hero World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club and this year made his first start in the limited-field invitational. Playing in the Woods-hosted event was a key accomplishment for Spaun.
“He watched me my entire warmup yesterday, like right on my bag,” Spaun said of Woods.
“We were chatting back and forth. It was cool, like I loved coming to this tournament growing up in L.A. and just enjoy being involved with anything Tiger does.
“If you’re kind of hanging around him, you’re in good company, you’re doing something right. It’s been such a fun week and an honour to be here.”
Indian-American star Akshay Bhatia, joint leader after the first day with Wyndham Clark, finished 13th on 9 under 279 with cards of 66, 68, 74 and 71.
Also read: Scheffler decimates Hero World Challenge field to retain title
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