Adam Scott's recent habit of tossing in one bad round bit him in the rich HSBC Champions event in Shanghai over the weekend as he continued to work towards his appearance in the Emirates Australian Open next month.
Scott's brilliant 66 at Sheshan International Golf Club followed a 64 on Saturday but sadly for the Australian, his chances were ruined by a calamitous 80 on Friday.
With rounds of 69-80-64-66 Scott finished 14th in the World Golf Championship event but an even-par round on Friday would have been enough to put him in the event, which was won in runaway fashion by Japan's Hideki Matsuyama.
Matsuyama made an astonishing 29 birdies, streeting the field in China to win by seven shots. He rolled in a great par-saving putt at the 72nd hole (after finding the water with his approach) to put the icing on his cake at 23-under par.
He is the first Japanese player to win a WGC event and shapes as a chance to become the first from his country to win a major.
Encouragingly for Australian golf, Matsuyama also is on his way Down Under as an established world top 10 player and now a WGC winner. The Japanese player, who is just 24 year of age, is representing his country in the World Cup at Kingston Heath from 25-28 November.
Meanwhile also on the United States PGA Tour, Australia's Cameron Smith is in contention for his first American Tour win at 12-under par through three rounds of the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson.
Smith, the former Australian amateur champion out of Queensland, will begin the final round just two shots back from the lead.