World No.1 Adam Scott was left to ponder a costly double bogey and some rotten luck as Japanese young gun Hideki Matsuyama claimed his first US PGA tour victory in the Memorial.
Matsuyama, 22, became the youngest winner of the Jack Nicklaus-hosted tournament when he beat American Kevin Na in a play-off with a par at the first extra hole at Muirfield Village.
Scott had to settle for a tie for fourth, three shots behind, but knew it could have easily been so much better as he gears towards the US Open at Pinehurst No.2 starting on June 12.
The Australian looked set to become the first player since Rory McIlroy in 2012 to win in consecutive weeks on the PGA Tour after making five birdies in his opening 11 holes on the final day to join the lead.
But just as quickly it was gone as he pushed his tee ball on the par-three 12th right and it plugged in a side hill just centimetres from water and inside the hazard line, eventually leaving him with a double bogey.
Then he missed the 14th green long into a plugged bunker lie for another bogey.
“They are the two mistakes I felt I made out there and they demand the highest quality of shot under that kind of pressure,” Scott lamented.
“Those angled greens are the toughest to play, especially when the pins are both back right – there’s very little area of green to hit at, and I just didn’t execute on those shots.
“I’m pretty disappointed because I played so beautifully the first 11 holes.”
Scott also faced cursed luck as he tried to mount a fightback.
On the par five 15th he took aim with a wedge from 98 yards only to have his ball hit the flagstick and ricochet back off the green.
A possible birdie ended up as a bogey and effectively killed his chances.
“That’s a big swing there,” said Scott. “Likelihood is the wedge finishes pretty close and then I’m right there with three to go. You get lucky breaks and you get bad ones.”
Matsuyama birdied the final hole to shoot a three-under 69 and finish tied at 13-under with Na who had roared home with a bogey-free 64 nearly two hours earlier.
Playing the 18th in sudden death Matsuyama was forced to use his three-wood after breaking his driver in frustration on the 72nd hole and while he found a fairway bunker, Na failed to take advantage when he drove his ball into a creek.
When Matsuyama made a 10-foot par putt the trophy was his.
“This is a dream come true to win here at Mr Nicklaus’ golf course,” he said.
Overnight leader Bubba Watson (72) was third at 12-under with Scott (71) tied fourth with American Chris Kirk (68) at 10-under.
Watson, who would have moved to world No.2 with a win but has to settle for a move to No.3, was 15-under through 13 holes but bogeyed the 14th and then hit his tee shot on 15 so far out of bounds it ended in a nearby backyard and left him with a double bogey.
Aaron Baddeley shot even-par 72 and finished on three-under with Jason Day (74) and Marc Leishman (73) in a tie for 37th.
