Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama fed off positive vibes gathered at last year’s Presidents Cup at Muirfield Village Golf Club to become just the fourth man from his homeland to win on the US PGA Tour.

The 22-year-old beat Kevin Na with a par on the first extra hole to capture the Memorial Tournament, punctuating a volatile week and final round at Muirfield Village. Matsuyama joins Japanese stalwarts Isao Aoki, Shigeki Maruyama and Ryuji Imada, who last won in 2008, as winners in America. Matsuyama in turn became the event’s first rookie champion since the Memorial’s inaugural year of 1976.

After rifling his approach to the 72nd hole next to the flag for a closing birdie that took him to 13-under-par, Matsuyama tied Na, who had completed his round several hours earlier by shooting an eight-under 64 to vault into contention.

The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance - Final Round Hideki Matsuyama is congratulated by tournament host Jack Nicklaus after his historic win. PHOTO: Getty Images

The first Memorial Tournament play-off since 1992 – when Matsuyama was only three months old – started with more commotion and intrigue after the Japanese player had snapped his driver on the 72nd tee. The rules allowed him to replace it for the play-off but rather than lean on an unfamiliar weapon for the most important hole of his young career, he instead opted to hit a 3-wood from the 18th tee, which veered right and found a fairway bunker. It proved to be the lesser of two evils as Na’s hopes died suddenly in sudden death when his tee shot sailed left into a water hazard.

Matsuyama had birdied the tough par-4 18th hole all four days, including under immense pressure on Sunday when he knew a three was needed to catch Na. A ten-foot par putt was good enough on his fifth playing of the hole, with Na facing a similar-length bogey putt had Matsuyama missed.

“I’m really, really happy,” Matsuyama said via an interpreter. “It’s a dream come true to win at Mr Nicklaus’ course.”

Earlier, the race for this Memorial title appeared to be between the past two Masters champions. Bubba Watson took a one-stroke lead into the final round and birdied the 11th hole to move to 15-under. Moments beforehand, Adam Scott reached 14-under par with a 25-foot birdie putt on the same green. Seven pars would have netted him a second consecutive Tour victory but alas he carded a double-bogey and three bogeys in the closing stretch to share fourth. Scott was desperately unlucky at the par-5 15th where his third shot clanked off the flagstick and the ball trundled off the front of the green, turning a likely birdie into an undeserved bogey.

The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance - Final Round Adam Scott plays his third shot from the drop zone on the par-3 12th hole after finding the water with his tee shot. PHOTO: Getty Images

Scott wasn’t the only one to unravel. Watson bogeyed the 14th after a wayward lay-up from the tee and then drove it so far right off the 15th that his ball finished out-of-bounds in the backyard of a neighbouring house. The ensuing double-bogey quashed his momentum. A third victory this season would have matched Jimmy Walker’s win tally and pushed Watson to the top of the FedEx Cup points list.

Na, who drew inspiration from tournament host Jack Nicklaus after golf’s greatest said in TV commentary that anyone at five-under through three rounds was still a chance, shot the round of the day on Sunday. His 64 was flawless, yet at the time he finished, his 13-under tally appeared a shot or two light as Watson, Matsuyama and Scott were all still in front of him.

The plot soon changed, as the lacklustre, stumbling finishes of Scott and Watson created the very real possibility that 13-under was plenty, perhaps without requiring extra holes. Matsuyama’s pinpoint approach to 18 prolonged an afternoon of great theatre at the Golden Bear’s tournament.

LEADERBOARD

1. *Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)       70-67-69-69—275

2. Kevin Na (US)            72-69-70-64—275

3. Bubba Watson (US)   66-69-69-72—276

T4. Adam Scott (Qld)    69-70-68-71—278

T4. Chris Kirk (US)         66-70-74-68—278

*Won on the first play-off hole

ALSO:

T37. Aaron Baddeley (Vic)        69-74-70-72—285

T37. Marc Leishman (Vic)         71-68-73-73—285

T37. Jason Day (Qld)    72-69-70-74—285

T72. Greg Chalmers (WA)         71-72-75-75—293

 # For the full leaderboard, click here