Hideki Matsuyama ended the 2025 season exactly as he began it: with a victory. On Sunday, at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas, the Japanese golfer scored a superb -8 in his final round, then in the playoff he hit a 9-iron to within two feet of the hole and beat Alex Noren to win the Hero World Challenge, the charity tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, for the second time.
Matsuyama, who in January set the PGA Tour record for scores under par by winning at Kapalua, found the decisive momentum on the 10th hole: from the fairway, 100 yards from the flag, he holed out for eagle, drawing level with Sepp Straka, overtaking Scottie Scheffler, and taking the tournament lead.
Alex Noren, forced to miss the first few months of 2025 due to a hamstring injury, also shot a 64 thanks to a remarkable comeback on the back nine. A 18-foot birdie on the 18th allowed him to catch Matsuyama at 22 points (266 overall) and advance to the playoff.
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Hideki Matsuyama, results
The final showdown lasted just one hole: Matsuyama hit a perfect 9-iron that stopped about 2 feet from the hole; Noren missed the 20-foot birdie putt and was forced to surrender.
For the 32-year-old from Ehime, this is the second triumph at the Hero World Challenge (after 2016) and the third trophy presented to him personally by Tiger Woods, who had already awarded him the trophy in 2024 for his victory at the Genesis Invitational. His career world championship wins now stand at 21.
Sepp Straka, leading Scheffler after 54 holes by one shot, closed with a 68 and took sole third place thanks to a birdie on the 18th. Scottie Scheffler, seeking his third consecutive Bahamas victory, paid dearly for two back-holes, suffering two consecutive bogeys that dropped him to 18 points behind. He finished with a 68, tied for fourth place with J.J. Spaun (65), the reigning U.S. Open champion.
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Matsuyama shot the first nine holes in 31 and, with an eagle on the 10th, tied Straka. From then on, he controlled the tournament without a bogey, wearing the traditional yellow jersey despite starting three shots behind. He failed to capitalize on the two par-5s in the second round, but his bogey-free round and, above all, his magical 9-iron in the playoff secured the victory.
Many of the world's best golfers are returning to the Bahamas for the 2025 edition of the Hero World Challenge, the prestigious charity tournament organized by Tiger Woods. The field is reduced to just 20 players, all invited, and will be played on the exclusive Albany Golf Course.
Host Tiger Woods will not be competing: he is still recovering from surgery he underwent in October and will also miss this edition. In his place, leading the field is world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, returning to competition for the first time since the 2025 Ryder Cup and aiming for a historic milestone: becoming the first player to win the tournament three consecutive years.
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Scheffler has already won the last two editions (2023 and 2024) and enjoyed an extraordinary season in 2025: six victories on the PGA Tour, including two Majors, confirming his dominance as the absolute ruler of world golf.
