Hideki Matsuyama eases to WGC-HSBC Champions title in Shanghai

By Ali Stafford

Highlights of Hideki Matsuyama's historic WGC-HSBC victory in Shanghai

Hideki Matsuyama fired a blemish-free final round to ease to a seven-shot victory at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

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WGC-HSBC Champions

The world No 10 posted six birdies on his way to a six-under 66 at Sheshan International to extend his overnight cushion and become the first Japanese player to win a World Golf Championship title.

A joint-low round-of-the-day 65 from Henrik Stenson secured him a share of second with Daniel Berger and lifted him above Danny Willett at the top of the Race to Dubai standings, as Rory McIlroy ended the week tied fourth.

Image: Victory looks likely to lift Matsuyama to sixth in the world rankings

Taking a three-shot lead in to the final round, Matsuyama opened with a birdie-three at the first and added gains at the fifth and seventh to extend his advantage to four strokes at the turn.

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Berger matched Matsuyama's front-nine 33 but carded a bogey-five at the 10th, as last week's CIMB Classic runner-up increased his lead with a hat-trick of gains from the 13th.

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Image: Matsuyama's last bogey came at the ninth hole of his second round on Friday

Matsuyama's second successive bogey-free card appeared under threat when his approach in to the last rolled in to the hazard, only for the leader to get up-and-down to save par from 10 feet and complete a third victory of 2016.

"Winning today I feel has got me closer to being able to compete a lot better in the major tournaments," Matsuyama said. "My next goal is to win a major and I'm going to do all that I can to prepare well for that."

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Stenson and Berger were Matsuyama's closest challengers on 16 under, with McIlroy joining Bill Haas a shot further back after missing a three-foot birdie putt at the last.

Image: Russell Knox had been three strokes off the pace heading in to the final round

A bogey-free 68 lifted Rickie Fowler in a tie-for-sixth with Ross Fisher and Francesco Molinari, as defending champion Russell Knox struggled to a closing 74 to end tied-ninth with Sergio Garcia.

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