Matsuyama 1st man from Japan to win golf major
Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan, waves after a birdie on the eighth hole during the final round of the Masters golf tournament.[AP/Charlie Riedel]
Hideki Matsuyama has made history as the first male golfer from Japan to win a major championship.
Matsuyama held on after knocking one in the water at the 15th, shooting a 1-over 73 to win the Masters by one stroke.
A five-time winner on the PGA Tour, Matsuyama took control of the tournament with a brilliant 65 on Saturday, doing his best work after a rain delay.
Xander Schauffele closed within two strokes after Matsuyama made bogey at No. 15. But Schauffele put one in the water at the 16th and took the first triple-bogey of his major championship career.
That cleared the way for Matsuyama to claim the green jacket. He made a bogey at No 18 but that was enough to hold off Masters rookie Will Zalatoris, who stamped himself as a future star with a 9-under 279.
Matsuyama was one shot better at 278.