Experience at Muirfield Helps a 22

DUBLIN, Ohio - It felt like October all over for Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, who played the final round of the Memorial Tournament with Australia's Adam Scott, his International team partner at last year's Presidents Cup.

There were two distinct differences Sunday: The sun shone on Muirfield Village Golf Club and the golf gods smiled on Matsuyama, who closed with a three-under-par 69 to force a sudden-death playoff with Kevin Na, who posted a 64.

Matsuyama and Na finished at 13-under 275, one stroke ahead of the 54-hole leader, Bubba Watson. Matsuyama won on the first extra hole, the par-4 18th, with a par after Na's drive found the water hazard.

The Memorial host, Jack Nicklaus, told Matsuyama, 22, a first-time PGA Tour winner, that he was the same age when he won for the first time.

'To win my first PGA Tour event is enough,' he said, 'but to win it here at Mr. Nicklaus's course, it really gives me a lot of confidence now going on.'

Matsuyama was the youngest participant on the International team in last year's Presidents Cup, contested in a near-constant deluge at Muirfield Village. He posted a record of 1-3-1, and he gained experience that would pay big dividends this week. 'It gave me an idea what the course is like and helped me to get my lines,' Matsuyama said.

The wet weather here last fall had no impact on Watson, whose 2013 season was essentially a washout. He had zero top-10 finishes in 21 tour starts and did not receive consideration for a captain's pick on the United States Presidents Cup team.

'It motivates you watching it on TV,' Watson said. 'I had the second-worst year since I've been on tour, so I knew what I needed to do.'

He needed to be himself and return to Bubba golf, a game built on his imagination and best played with a light grip and clear head. After his star turn at the 2012 Masters, Watson felt the weight of expectations to be the leading man in every event he entered. It took him two years to get back to playing golf his way, which he did to win his second Masters title in April.

'I think when you first win, you think you're a hero,' Watson said. 'You put more pressure on yourself to be great.'

With his first major victory, Watson did not fulfill his dream, he exceeded it. For the next year and a half, he felt like a character actor trying to carry a blockbuster film. So what changed?

'Now I realize I'm not very good, I'm not very great, so there's less pressure,' Watson said. 'I'm not anxious going to the next tournament and trying to be No. 1 in the world, not trying to be the next great champion. I'm just trying to play golf.'

He had one hiccup Sunday and it proved costly. At the par-5 15th, he took out his driver and hit such a poor shot, his ball landed in a fenced-in backyard of a house. After the two-stroke penalty, he chose to lay up on his fourth shot, from the fairway, and missed a 31-foot bogey putt.

Watson was five over on the three finishing holes the first three rounds. He played them in even par Sunday, but it did not matter because he was one over on the par 5s after playing them in 11-under the first three days.

'I just see that I made one bad decision today,' Watson said, 'and it cost me two shots.'

Watson's previous high here was a tie for 23rd, so he looked at his performance Sunday as progress. Next up is the United States Open, another tournament where Watson has struggled; in seven starts, he has one top-10 finish and three missed cuts.

'I'm playing better in places that I haven't been known to play well at, so it's good,' Watson said. 'It's all mind-set. My focus, my abilities, are fine. I have to just stay focused on what I'm doing.'

Na, who teed off two hours before Watson, was so attuned to what he was doing, he said he felt as if he could do no worse than a par on any hole. 'Every hole is not a birdie hole out here, but it sure felt that way,' said Na, who had eight birdies.

After finishing, Na ate lunch, spent a few minutes in the television booth and returned to the clubhouse, where he watched one contender after another stumble. Scott, the world No. 1, briefly held a share of the lead but made bogeys on three of the last five holes and settled for a 71 to finish tied for fourth with Chris Kirk at 10-under 278.

When Matsuyama made a bogey on No. 14 to slip to 14 under, Na left the clubhouse and practiced his putting, his driving and his chipping. Na was returning to the practice green when he heard the cheer at 18 for Matsuyama, who had tied Na by draining a 5-foot birdie putt - after pushing his drive and breaking his driver when he slammed it into the ground in disgust.

Later, Nicklaus would let Matsuyama off the hook. 'If you look at the replay, he almost dropped the club,' he said.

A grateful Matsuyama said, 'Exactly how Mr. Nicklaus explained, that's how it happened.'

On a day when nothing else went according to form, why not believe them?

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