The Break: Deki Demolishes at Riv

Nine is Fine

Hideki Matsuyama has not been at his best for several years now. Really, since winning the Masters, Matsuyama hasn't been the same. And, to be fair, that probably was a pretty decent trade-off. However, Matsuyama and his all-world ballstriking have been missed in the upper echelon of golf.

There had been recent signs that Matsuyama was getting back to a better version of himself, including a T-13 finish at Torrey Pines. However, Matsuyama found himself six shots back of Patrick Cantlay heading into the final round at The Genesis Invitational at Riviera, a place where tortured ballstrikers often find solace on the tricky greens. 

Three birdies to start was great for Matsuyama, but he stalled out for the remainder of the front nine, seemingly gaining no ground on the lead while Luke List surged ahead of Cantlay. Then List fell back, no one pulled more forward, and that all created a void that Matsuyama filled with an all-time back nine. He shot 30 coming in, making circles on the first three holes and then finding the pinnacle of his ballstriking on Nos. 15 and 16, when he hit his two iron shots on both holes to a combined 14 inches. A birdie on 17 completed the comeback and the win. By the time the final two groups got to 18, the result was academic. Matsuyama finished on 17-under 267 to win by turning a six-shot deficit into a three-shot win.

Matsuyama is back in the top 25 in the world now, and he's now a nine-time PGA Tour winner. Everything seems possible again, especially if the Japanese star can find iron play as precise as he did down the stretch at Riviera.

Now the PGA Tour heads to Mexico for the Mexico Open at Vidanta, with four top-50 players in the field that's led by defending champion Tony Finau.

2024 Mexico Open at Vidanta: Tournament Model | Field | Rankings | Horses for Courses | Betting Odds | One and Done | Past Results | Cheat Sheet | Recent Form | Finish Database

Finau Lawsuit Dismissed

Tony Finau, his brother and father had been the defendants in a lawsuit filed by David Hunter and his company, ICON Sports, claiming he was owed 20 percent of Finau's career earnings as part of a 2007 agreement made between ICON Sports and the Finau Corporation. However, the Finau Corporation was dissolved in 2009, well before Finau got to the PGA Tour.

The suit, heard in August 2023, was dismissed in the 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, on two grounds: the statute of limitations for a breach-of-contract claim had run out and the agreement was with the Finau Corporation, not the Finaus directly. Hunter appealed to the Utah Court of Appeals, which last week rejected that appeal and dismissed the lawsuit.

Judge Ryan Tenney said Hunter failed to explain where the District Court got the dismissal wrong. Tenney also said Hunter and ICON Sports could not claim to know about the dissolution of the FInau Corporation as Hunter's predecessor at the company was present on a conference call during which the dissolution was discussed.

This is great news for Finau and his family, and it seemingly brings an end to an awkward lawsuit.

In the Loop

Stephen Ames wins the weather-shortened Chubb Classic, reduced to 36 holes after a nine-hole final round was abandoned.

Jordan Spieth's Genesis DQ brings up an old debate about wrong-scorecard DQs.

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