Golf-Matsuyama beats Fowler in Phoenix Open playoff

Feb 7 (Reuters) - Japan's Hideki Matsuyama parred the fourth extra hole to clinch an unlikely playoff victory over American Rickie Fowler at the Phoenix Open on Sunday. Matsuyama went birdie-birdie over the final two holes of regulation at the TPC Scottsdale to force the playoff as he and Fowler had matching 67s for a 14-under-par 270, two strokes clear of American Harris English. They opened the sudden death playoff by playing the par-four 18th twice, matching each other first with par and then birdie, before continuing at the par-four 10th, which they both parred. The playoff finally ended at the par-four 17th, where Fowler drove into a water hazard for the second time in barely an hour and could not save par. Matsuyama had the luxury of two-putting from five feet for his second victory on the PGA Tour, following the 2014 Memorial. (Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Frank Pingue)