The Japanese Hideki Matsuyama was crowned champion of the Sony Open in Hawaii, a tournament belonging to the American PGA circuit, after winning the first hole of the playoff against the American Russell Henley.
Matsuyama, champion of the Masters, achieved victory after sinking an eagle on the 18th hole, par 5, before the six blows that the American needed.
With the Sony Open, the Japanese took his second victory of the season after winning the ZOZO Championship in Tokyo last October.
Henley, who was close to his second victory at the Sony Open after winning in 2013, had four birdies on the first eight holes and followed with an eagle on the 9th. which allowed him to maintain his advantage against the Japanese Matsuyama until the 18th hole despite making a mistake on the 11th and continuing the final holes over par.
But Matsuyama, number five in the FedExCup, kept the tension until the end, fought every shot and managed to play the tiebreaker after a birdie on the 18th hole. who matched Hanley in the cumulative 257 hits.
The Japanese completed the last tour of the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu in 63 shots, with seven birdies and without any failure.
The third position was shared by the American Kevin Kisner, who climbed four places on the last day, and the Irishman Seamus Power with a total of 261 hits, 19 under par, four behind the leader.
The defending champion of the tournament, the American Kevin Na, who started leading the first round of the tournament with three shots ahead of the second classified, He was unable to overcome the poor score of the second round and finished in twentieth position with 267 accumulated strokes.
FedExCup number one Talor Gooch of the United States also failed to keep up with the pace of previous rounds and, with a bogey on the 6th hole and two birdies, completed his worst tour and signed a last card of 69 hits that made him drop to twenty-seventh position.
