HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Feb. 18, 2024 – In a come from behind effort, Hideki Matsuyama chased down the field at The Genesis Invitational with a scorching final round back-nine 30, carding six birdies and no bogeys to close out the tournament at 17-under and win by three strokes. Matsuyama’s 9-under 62 on Sunday is the lowest final round tournament score recorded at Riviera Country Club. This is his ninth PGA Tour victory.
Delivering on one of the biggest stages of the year, Matsuyama found himself in cruise control on Sunday, showcasing his pristine Iron play throughout the final round. His back-nine 30 was fueled by his Srixon Z-Forged II Irons hitting back-to-back Iron shots on the 15th and 16th holes within nine and six inches respectively. He ranked second in strokes gained approach in the final round.
![Hideki Matsuyama - ZX5 LS Mk II Driver.jpg](https://morning-read.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c0b8bdd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6622x4415+0+0/resize/840x560!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmorning-read-brightspot.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2F33%2Ffc%2F7476a0b24c938ae461fcacede966%2Fhideki-matsuyama-zx5-ls-mk-ii-driver.jpg)
Playing pain free and winning for the first time since the Sony Open in 2022, Matsuyama hopes to keep this positive momentum going into major season. “Ever since that injury, I was worried every week I would hurt my back. This week I played without any worries so that really helped,” he said. “I think it’s really important for me to keep this momentum, especially going into Augusta, so hopefully I can keep that.”
Crediting his chipping for the positive week, Matsuyama ranked first in scrambling using his Cleveland Golf RTX Wedges and Srixon’s Z-STAR XV golf ball to work his way around challenging Riviera. With this win, Matsuyama became the first player from Japan to win at Riviera and becomes the winningest Asian-born player in PGA Tour history.
![Hideki Matsuyama - Z-Forged II Irons.jpg](https://morning-read.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/031b7db/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6121x5760+0+0/resize/840x790!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmorning-read-brightspot.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2F7b%2Fca%2F8d6bc00c4f48a494f3a1e999159c%2Fhideki-matsuyama-z-forged-ii-irons.jpg)
Here is a full look at the equipment Hideki Matsuyama used to win The Genesis Invitational:
- Srixon ZX5 LS Mk II 9.5° Driver
- Srixon Z-Forged II Irons 4-PW
- Cleveland Golf RTX Wedges (52°, 56°, 60°)
- Srixon Z-STAR XV golf ball
To learn more about Srixon’s Z-Forged II Irons and the other equipment Matsuyama used, visit us.dunlopsports.com/srixon.
ABOUT Dunlop Sports Americas:
Based in Huntington Beach, CA and Greenville, SC, Dunlop Sports Americas (DSA) is the North American subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. We manufacture and sell premium golf and racket sports equipment to players of all skill levels under a portfolio of brands: Dunlop, Srixon, Cleveland Golf, and XXIO. DSA is also a licensed exclusive distributor of ASICS golf footwear. Our unique global sales network and infrastructure in R&D, manufacturing, and material science elevates our brands onto a global stage where we encourage players from around the world to experience our incredible products. For more information, please contact Noelle Zavaleta at noellezavaleta@srixon.com.