Top-5 Moments of 2015-16 PGA Tour Season: #2. The Waste Management Phoenix Open
With a few weeks until the PGA Tour returns, here’s a look back at 2015-16 season’s top moments, as on this occasion we focus on The Waste Management Phoenix Open.
As the PGA Tour takes a few weeks off and won’t return again until January, now seemed like the perfect time to look back at the season that just passed.
This season has given us so many thrilling tournaments, and with them many thrilling moments.
In the coming days and weeks, I will take a look back at the some of the top moments that have played out over this past season and just what made them so memorable.
Over the rest of December the countdown will reveal one of the best tournaments of the year. Today, I continue the countdown with No. 2.
#2: Matsuyama’s Thrilling Super Bowl Sunday Win
As most of America was settling in for Super Bowl 50 to see the Carolina Panthers duel the Denver Broncos, there was another duel taking place out in Arizona. Hideki Matsuyama and Rickie Fowler were locked into a playoff battle as the sun was setting at TPC Scottsdale. Surrounding them was a gallery that always proves to be one of the largest and loudest on the PGA Tour.
On the final two holes of his final round, Fowler made bogey on the 17th hole and then made the stroke back on the final hole with a birdie. Meanwhile, Matsuyama added a birdie on both the 17th and 18th hole to help erase a two stroke deficit at the hands of Fowler. Both golfers closed their final round out with a four-under 67 to pull into a tie at 14-under tournament score. The stage was set for a playoff showdown between Fowler and Matsuyama.
For the first playoff hole, the two golfers headed back to replay the 18th hole. Both golfers hit the fairway on their drive. Matsuyama played his first as he hit the green but left himself a rather long putt. Just after that, Fowler left his second shot just short of the green as it rolled away leaving him with a short chip. Matsuyama two-putted and Fowler chipped up and tapped in. Matching pars meant another playoff hole. It would again be the 18th hole and as it had been for much of the previous two hours, they dueled it out to another tie with matching birdies.
After the third playoff hole, no. 10, neither player blinked as again they matched each other’s pars.
Despite the Super Bowl already being in progress the course was still jammed as the two golfers created a thrilling atmosphere by trading blows seemingly every shot.
As the sun began to set, they headed to the 17th hole to play the fourth and eventual final playoff hole. After hours of a locked-in battle, Fowler became the first one to blink. He tried to play a draw that leaked a little bit too far left, eventually finding the water. Matsuyama, staying true to his form of the last few hours, didn’t like his shot initially but kept it out of the water. Fowler got his ball on the green but missed a short par putt giving Matsuyama a two putt cushion for the win.
In the end, he needed both putts but it was still good enough to finally capture his second career PGA Tour win.
Check back in with us for the top moment of the season very soon!
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