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Top 10 golf tournaments closed out with a winning eagle

From Isao Aoki in 1983 to fellow Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama in 2022, we look at memorable victories that were closed out with an exclamation mark!

Hideki Matsuyama joined an exclusive club when he secured victory in the Sony Open by taking just three shots at the par-5 18th - the first extra hole.

A brilliant 3-wood approach set it up and allowed Matsuyama to become the latest player to take glory with a winning eagle.
Incredibly, he's not the first Japanese player to do so at the Sony Open.
Thirty-nine years ago, Isao Aoki produced an even more spectacular finish to win the event with eagle and it's the first entry in our list below…

Isao Aoki 1983

Trailing Jack Renner by a shot in the 1983 Sony Open at Waialae Country Club, Isao Aoki needed a closing birdie to tie and force a play-off. Nah, forget that, he decided to hole out and get it done there and then! What a way to claim your first and only PGA Tour victory.

Robert Gamez 1990

Greg Norman has had some bad beats down the years. But perhaps this tops the lot. Sitting in the clubhouse with a one-shot lead at the Nestle Invitational, a bemused Norman watched as Robert Gamez drained his 7-iron approach from 176 yards to steal the tournament away from him with a 72nd-hole eagle. "Got to be one of the great shots in the history of the game right there," said Johnny Miller in the commentary box.

David Duval 1999

Duval started the final round of the 1999 Bob Hope Classic seven strokes back. With scoring low, it needed something sensational to claw back such a deficit. His solution? Shoot a 59 with a closing eagle for the then lowest final round in PGA Tour history. Even the usually reserved Duval couldn't stop fist pumping when the eagle putt dropped.

Craig Parry 2004

Craig Parry's winning eagle to claim the prestigious Ford Championship at Doral was truly spectacular. Taking aim from the fairway at the first play-off hole (the 18th), the Aussie slam dunked his approach to take out Scott Verplank with one swish of his six-iron.

Jonathan Byrd 2011

You've made a play-off with two rivals but still can't shake them off after three extra holes. Darkness is descending and it looks like everyone will have to come back the next day. Jonathan Byrd decided something drastic was needed to clinch the 2010 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. So he did just that, draining his tee-shot at the par 3 to close out victory with a sensational a hole-in-one. What odds would one of the Strip hotels given on that?!

Chris Wood 2014

Seeking a first European Tour win to realise the promise shown by back-to-back top five finishes in the Open Championship in 2008 and 2009, the tall Bristolian decided to seize the moment. Trailing by two at the turn after letting a three-shot overnight lead slip at the 2010 Qatar Masters, Wood fought back into contention and then smashed a 202-yard five-iron over water at 18 and sank the 12-foot putt to claim a memorable win.

Rory McIlroy 2016

Desperate to win his home Irish Open after a string of previous flops, McIlroy was one shot clear going to the final hole of the 2016 edition at the K Club. But rather than protect his lead, the Northern Irishman decided to attack. He smashed a glorious fairway wood from 253 yards to kick-in range and tapped in the eagle putt to realise a long-held dream.

Jon Rahm 2017

The buzz around Jon Rahm was already big but it went through the roof when he claimed his first PGA Tour title in the style of someone destined for greatness. The Spaniard faced a tricky two-putt birdie from the back edge of the green at Torrey Pines as he chased victory at the Farmers Insurance Open. A three-putt - a very realistic proposition - could open the door for the chasing pack but he needed just one, Rahm slamming it shut with a sensational snaking effort from 60 feet to announce his arrival at the top in stunning fashion.

Daniel Berger 2021

Tied for the lead with just one hole to play at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Berger delivered the killer blow by eagling the iconic par-5 18th in three dramatic blows. First, he ignored the Pacific Ocean winking to his left and out-of-bounds to the right to find the fairway. Second, he floated a glorious 3-wood from 250 yards into the heart of the green. Third, he stepped up and drained a 30-foot eagle putt to capture his fourth PGA Tour title.

Hideki Matsuyama 2022

Matsuyama was trailing leader Russell Henley by five shots as he made the turn in round four of the Sony Open. As the American stalled during a 1-over back nine, the Masters champion reeled him in with four back-nine birdies to force a play-off. Matsuyama found the fairway with his tee shot at 18, the first extra hole, and then cut a magnificent 3-wood approach from 276 yards to within three feet. He drained the putt to match compatriot Aoki's winning eagle.

READ MORE: Sony Open: Hideki Matsuyama produces magic shot to edge out Russell Henley

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