[Winners Club] Matsuyama Delivers with New Putter

FedEx St. Jude Championship Victory
First Asian Player to Reach 10 PGA Tour Wins
Boasts Solid Driver and Pinpoint Iron Shots
Successful Scotty Cameron Putter Change Before Tournament

The gamble of changing the putter paid off.

Hideki Matsuyama is celebrating after securing his victory on the 18th hole of the final day at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. [Memphis, USA=AFP·Yonhap News]

This is about Hideki Matsuyama (Japan). On the 18th, he won the first round of the PGA Tour Playoffs (PO), the FedEx St. Jude Championship (total prize money $20 million), held at TPC Southwind (par 70, 7,243 yards) in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. It was his 10th career victory, six months after the Genesis Invitational in February, with a winner's prize of $3.6 million (approximately 4.9 billion KRW).

Matsuyama became the first Asian player to win the Masters in 2021. By winning the Genesis Invitational, he surpassed 'Tank' K.J. Choi (8 wins) to set the record for the most PGA Tour wins by an Asian player, and with this victory, he became the first Asian golfer to reach 10 wins. Despite adversity?his caddie and coach had their passports stolen while traveling from France to the US after winning the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and could not accompany him to this tournament?he reached the top.

Matsuyama was flawless in this tournament. His tee shots were long, and his iron shots were accurate. His putting was outstanding. The back-to-back birdies on holes 17 and 18 on the final day were spectacular. The numbers prove this: over four days, his average driver distance was 315.50 yards (tied 21st), maximum distance 347 yards (tied 20th), greens in regulation 69.44% (tied 4th), and scrambling ability 72.73% (tied 18th).

Especially notable were the putting-related stats. His putts per green in regulation were 1.56 (2nd), and strokes gained putting was 8.20 (1st). Matsuyama changed his putter before this tournament. He put a Scotty Cameron Craftsman Squareback Tour Prototype in his bag. "I thought I needed to change my putter when I came to Memphis. I judged it to be the product that fits this course best. Changing the putter had an effect, and it produced the result of a victory."

Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5 degrees)

Fairway Woods: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees), Cobra King RadSpeed Tour (17.5 degrees)

Irons: Srixon Z-Forged II (#4-9)

Wedges: Cleveland RTX 4 Forged Prototype (48, 52, 56, 60 degrees)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Craftsman Squareback Tour Prototype

Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV *Data provided by PGA Tour