SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Hideki Matsuyama was excited to play with fellow Japanese participant Ryo Hisatsune within the closing pairing on the Phoenix Open and hoped to play towards him once more.
Hisatsune’s bogey on No. 18 sealed the deal.
Matsuyama might have greater worries, with top-ranked Scottie Scheffler lurking.
Matsuyama shot a 3-under 68 and took a one-shot lead Saturday, regardless of lacking a late likelihood.
“Right this moment is the primary time for Japan that two Japanese professionals play within the closing group,” Matsuyama stated by an interpreter. “I assumed we might do it tomorrow, however once more, I hope we are able to play properly tomorrow and keep on high.”
He’ll want to do this after Scheffler climbed the leaderboard for the second straight day at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course.
Scheffler, who was on the verge of lacking out on qualification for the primary time since 2022 after a shaky first spherical, bounced again from a second-round 65 with a 67 on Saturday to inside 5 strokes.
He has been on this place earlier than, successful the 2022 Phoenix Open after getting back from 9 strokes right down to win his first on the PGA Tour.
“It may take a particular spherical,” he stated. “I’m going to begin on the entrance 9 tomorrow, so if I can go on the market and make some birdies on the laborious 9 and get some momentum occurring the again, you by no means know what can occur.”
Matsuyama could also be tough to catch.
The Japanese star missed an up-and-down from close to the inexperienced on the quick par-4 seventeenth and left a 15-foot birdie putt on the lip on the 18th, however nonetheless completed at 13 below 200.
The 2-time Phoenix Open champion was tied with Hisatsune after 17 holes, however his compatriot made bogey on the 18th gap after failing to stand up and down from a greenside bunker, leaving him with an outright lead going into the ultimate spherical. Hisatsune shot a 70 and completed at 12 below par.
Nikolai Hujgaard had 5 birdies in his closing six holes and shot a bogey-free 65. Maverick McNeely made 4 birdies in a row on 5 holes on the again 9 and shot a 65. Kim Si-woo made an eagle on the par-5 third gap and shot a 66 to tie them at 12 below.
“There are loads of gamers competing on the high, so we simply need to play properly,” Matsuyama stated.
Hisatsune shot a 63 within the second spherical to beat Matsuyama by one stroke, and the “dream” closing pairing with Hisatsune, who has impressed many younger Japanese gamers, was determined within the third spherical.
Neither had a lot success on the entrance 9.
Matsuyama birdied three of the primary 4 holes, together with a 27-foot shot over marshland on the par-3 fourth. His ups and downs did not enhance on the 2nd and fifth holes both, and he hit bogey, ending with a 1-under 34.
Hisatsune additionally could not get the momentum going and ended up with two birdies and two pars.
Matsuyama made a birdie on the par-4 tenth gap and added a two-putt on the par-5 thirteenth to take the lead on the thirteenth, however closed it out with 5 consecutive pars.
Hisatsune additionally made 10 birdies, and even on the quick par-4 seventeenth gap, he made an up-and-down birdie to maneuver right into a tie for the lead, however missed his 8-foot par putt on the 18th gap.
Hisatsune stated by an interpreter, “I am glad it was minus one, so I am going to put together for tomorrow.”
After a disappointing 73 within the first spherical, Scheffler modified his grip and his outlook modified.
Scheffler made his first birdie on the par-4 eighth gap and holed out a bunker shot on the tenth for the primary of a string of birdies. After a three-putt bogey on the par-3 twelfth, he went up and down on the 2 par-5s on the again 9, 13 and 15, for birdies.
However then he stalled.
Scheffler missed a birdie putt on the sixteenth, could not get it again down from pin-high on the par-4 seventeenth, and missed a birdie on the 18th.
“I really feel very snug the place I’m and the way I am enjoying,” he stated.
If that occurs, even a five-stroke distinction might trigger issues for the remainder of the sphere.
