AKRON, Ohio – At this point last year Hideki Matsuyama seemed an unstoppable force in the game. He closed his Sunday round at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational with three consecutive birdies on his way to a course-record-tying 61 and a five-stroke victory.
A year removed from that commanding performance, Matsuyama has just a single top-10 finish this year on the PGA Tour, a tie for fourth place at the limited-field Sentry Tournament of Champions, and is in danger of missing the Tour Championship for the first time since 2013.
“I have been watching my place in the FedEx [Cup] and I have some work to do,” said Matsuyama, who is currently 86th on the FedExCup points list.