Hideki Matsuyama builds five-shot lead at FedEx St. Jude Championship

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Which player would win at the height of his powers?

Like the time-honored Godzilla-versus-King Kong or Voldemort-versus-Darth Vader conversation starters, the question is largely unanswerable but endlessly debatable.

What is not debatable is that Hideki Matsuyama, who shot a third-round 64 to reach 17-under par and take a five-shot lead over Nick Dunlap (66) at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, should be part of the debate. Because when he’s healthy, peak Matsuyama can be a lot to handle.

“I am surprised,” he said of his large lead at the FedEx St. Jude, the start of the three-week FedExCup Playoffs, “but I did play well today.”

For the third day in a row, the heat kept players reaching for the coolers behind the tees and seeking shade on the far-right end of the driving range. Matsuyama said the sweltering conditions have helped with his on-again, off-again back pain, which knocked him out of the Playoffs at last year’s BMW Championship.

“We have good days and bad days,” he said, “but today I played well, and again, hopefully that will carry over to tomorrow.”

Viktor Hovland (66), who has struggled since winning the FedExCup a year ago, is 11 under, six back, while world No. 1 and Olympic gold medalist Scottie Scheffler (69) got off to a slow start and is tied for fourth with Sam Burns (70), seven back.

“It's going to be tough to close it out on the back nine,” said Scheffler, who has six PGA TOUR wins this season and has spent most of the year at No. 1 in the FedExCup. “There's a lot of water coming down the stretch.”

True, TPC Southwind always leads the PGA TOUR in water balls. History has shown, however, that when Matsuyama starts feeling it, no one is safe. He’s coming off a bronze medal-winning performance in Paris, and this week is using a new putter while also ironing out the kinks with a fill-in caddie, Taiga Tabuchi.

The caddie change was made necessary after Matsuyama, his coach and his regular caddie, Shota Hayafuji, were robbed in a London restaurant on their way back from the Paris Olympic Games. Matsuyama lost his wallet. His caddie and coach lost their passports and had to return to Japan to sort out their travel documents.

“I’m just carrying the bag and trying not to bother him,” said Tabuchi, whose usual boss, Ryo Hisatsune, texted him to try to learn as much as possible from Matsuyama. (Hisatsune missed the cut on the DP World Tour this week.)

Scheffler stumbled on the first few holes Saturday and noted that he will need to get off to a better start Sunday to give himself a chance. The first three holes present one of the easiest stretches at TPC Southwind.

Dunlap, too, will need to come out strong to put any pressure on Matsuyama, who could render the chase pack irrelevant if he himself comes out with another flurry of birdies.

“Yeah, 17-under is pretty good out there,” Dunlap said of the leader. “That's really solid.”

For the first time in a while, Hovland has felt solid about his own game.

“Yeah, now I'm actually starting to see some good shots,” he said.

In a way, the chase pack could take inspiration from Matsuyama himself. He shot 62 to win The Genesis Invitational in February; tied the course record with a 61 to win the 2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational by five; and tied the course record again with a 63 to take the first-round lead at the 2020 PLAYERS Championship.

That PLAYERS, of course, was abandoned after Round 1 due to COVID-19, so in that respect his 63 never happened – one of the myriad ways Matsuyama has never quite gotten his due. Last season it was injuries that obscured his talent. After shooting a final-round 65 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship to finish T16 and continue his season, he withdrew from the BMW Championship with a back injury. He also has dealt with on-and-off neck injuries.

This week, though, he’s felt better, and not even getting robbed put a damper on his mood in the afterglow of his bronze in Paris. One longtime golf writer from Japan said earlier this week she had never seen him so happy. A victory at TPC Southwind, where Matsuyama lost in a playoff in 2021, would only add to the joy.

It would also move him to FedExCup No. 3, behind Scheffler and Xander Schauffele; give him his 10th PGA TOUR victory at age 32; and serve to remind of his greatness.

Generationally great players? Giants of the game? Matsuyama, the first men’s major winner from Japan (2021 Masters) is headed that way with or without his wallet. He may be there already.