Hideki Matsuyama, who plays primarily on the U.S. PGA tour, won his first domestic event of the year on Sunday, beating Hiroshi Iwata in a playoff to capture the JGTO's Dunlop Phoenix title.
Matsuyama started the day with a two stroke lead and shot a 1-under-par 70 final round at the par-71 Phoenix Country Club. Iwata began the final day in a tie for seventh, seven strokes back, but scorched the course for a 63 to tie Matsuyama at 15-under 269. Iwata, however, fell apart on the first playoff hole, and Matsuyama saved par to earn a ¥40 million payoff.
A pair of birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 closed it out for Matsuyama in regulation following back-to-back bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes. He carded five birdies against four bogeys, while Iwata was nearly flawless with eight birdies in a bogey-free round.
American Jordan Spieth started two strokes off the pace but could only close the gap to one, finishing in a tie for third with Australia's Brendan Jones, who shot a 68.
