Hideki Matsuyama - Asian hero  06:24, 30/10/2016

It was only fitting that Matsuyama won the WGC billed as "Asia's major."

The 24-year-old Matsuyama hit his second shot into the water on the par-5 18th hole and still finished with a par, holing an 18-foot putt. That gave him a seven-shot victory over The Open Championship winner Henrik Stenson (65) and Daniel Berger (69).

It was the largest margin of victory at the HSBC Champions, and the largest in a WGC since Tiger Woods won by seven in the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Matsuyama played his final 45 holes at Sheshan International without a bogey. He finished at 23-under 265, one shot away from the tournament record set three years ago by Dustin Johnson.

It was the 10th career victory for Matsuyama, who goes to a career-best No. 6 in the world ranking and moves to No. 1 in the early FedExCup race.

In the last three weeks since he finished his best PGA TOUR season with fifth place at the TOUR Championship, Matsuyama won the Japan Open, was runner-up in Malaysia to Justin Thomas in the CIMB Classic, and then won his biggest tournament yet.

"Hideki played just unbelievable and it was a pleasure to watch. You can learn a lot from watching Hideki play," Berger said. "He's struck it well. He's putted well. He's chipped well. He's done everything well, and that's why he's won by so many."

Defending champion Russell Knox, playing in the final group with Matsuyama and Berger, couldn't match his birdies and then fell far behind trying to push it. Knox finished the front nine with two bogeys and started the back nine with a pair of bogeys. He closed with a 74 and tied for ninth.

Knox isn't sure it would have mattered the way Matsuyama was playing.

"He was brilliant," he said. "No weaknesses the last two days. He drove the ball well and far, and his iron play was very good. And he made it look very easy."

Rory McIlroy closed with a 66 to share fourth with Bill Haas (69).

Source: PGA Tour.