THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome the winner of the 2025 Sentry, Hideki Matsuyama, to the interview room. Hideki, this is your 11th career TOUR title and you're the seventh player to win both Hawaii swing events. What does this win mean to you?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: I'm very happy. I wanted to definitely win both tournaments in Hawaii. So I'm very happy to be able to do that.
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please?
Q. What did Shota say to you on the 18th green that made you smile?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: I don't remember. 18th green, right?
Q. Yeah.
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: I don't remember.
Q. Did you know the last birdie was to set a PGA TOUR record, and having the record, is that meaningful to you?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: You know, I thought maybe it was like 34, 35, I wasn't sure, but I kind of thought, you know if I'm thinking like that, it probably won't go in, but it did go in, and so I'm glad it did.
Q. When did you receive the putter that you used?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: I received the putter after Christmas, and I used the putter for the first time here.
Q. Is it something you saw at the Dunlop Phoenix?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: No.
Q. Why do you think that that style of putter worked well for you this week?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: I'm not sure, but it went in, so...
Q. What was the best, during the week, what was the best conversation you had with your caddie on a particular shot or approach?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: You know, I actually wasn't feeling too well this week, and so I was really just focused on what I needed to do, so I really didn't speak much, so there's nothing that I can remember that comes to mind.
Q. How important is the relationship between a caddie and the player?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: It's very important to be able to trust someone and to be able to, and you know, things with Shota are going really well, so it's good.
Q. How special is it to win here, set a record here, play here, with all that's gone on with Lahaina 17 months ago, and the rebuild since then?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: After the fire we didn't know if we were going to get to play here. We were able to get to play, and play again this year. And then be able to win, this is a tournament that I've always wanted to win, it's a special place here, so definitely happy to have won here.
Q. What kind of sickness were you, and how did that affect you on the course?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: In December I was kind of ill, and kind of, I thought I was better coming into this tournament, I had a couple sores in my mouth, so it was hard for me to speak this week, so that's what I had coming in.
Q. Playing 36 with Collin when he was playing so well, was it fun, was it stressful, how would you describe the competition between the two of you?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: I don't know if you can say fun, I would just, you know, I was in awe of his game, just trying to follow him and trying to play along and be there, and I was able to focus and be able to do that.
Q. How much were you able to practice in the weeks leading up to this?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Can't really say, you know, because it wasn't too much. It wasn't too much.
Q. A couple days?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Yeah.
Q. What are your goals now? You've got the most wins of an Asian-born player, which was important, you won the Masters, what goals do you pursue?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: I have goals within myself, and I'm not going to say it right here, but there are unfinished business that I have set for myself that I still am striving to get to.
Q. Three wins in the last 10 months, are you on an upward trend, as the kids like to say?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: September, November, December, I really didn't get to play too much golf, so I kind of forgot about the last two, so I think this is kind of the beginning.
Q. Lastly, can you talk about not only the shot on No. 3, but also it was a very tricky chip behind the 5th green with the grain. It was very good, I just wonder if you could talk for a really long time about that.
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: On the 3rd hole, 105 yards, I thought, Oh, I hit a good one. I knew that it was going to be right there for a birdie, but then I heard the crowd, so I knew that it went in. Definitely happy that it did.
Collin was on in two, so I knew that I needed to get there, he might have made birdie or eagle. So even though I had a two-stroke lead, I knew that I needed to be able to keep going there. I didn't know if the wind was into or with me, so it was a delicate touch shot and I was able to make a great shot there.
Q. After shooting 62 yesterday what do you feel you needed to go work on in your game, and how long did you spend at the range?
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: I putted well, and so I wanted to -- I had some good short irons, I had some good shots, but I wanted to fix some things with my driver. So I worked on some tee shots at the range and fixed it, and went into the tournament, the last day.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports