Hideki grabs Phoenix Open pace after firing 68
SCOTTSDALE—Hideki Matsuyama shot a three-under-par 68 despite some missed opportunities down the stretch to take a one-shot lead after 54 holes of the Phoenix Open on Saturday.
The top-ranked Scottie Scheffler was lurking five shots off the lead after shooting 67 in a bunched leaderboard that had four players a shot behind Matsuyama.
Matsuyama failed to get up-and-down from near the green on the short par-4 17th and left a 4.57-meter (15 feet) birdie putt on the lip of the 18th hole to finish at 200 on TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course.
The two-time Phoenix Open champion was tied with Ryo Hisatsune after 17 holes, but took the outright lead into the final round after his countryman failed to get up-and-down from the greenside bunker for a bogey on 18. Hisatsune shot 70 for 201.
Chasing pack
Nicolai Hojgaard had five birdies on his final six holes to shoot a bogey-free 65. Maverick McNealy had a stretch of four birdies in five holes on the back nine to shoot 65. Kim Si-woo had an eagle on the par-5 third hole to shoot 66 as the trio joined Hisatsune at second spot.
Hisatsune shot 63 in the second round to surge ahead of Matsuyama by a shot, setting up a third-round “dream” final pairing with the player who inspired so many young Japanese golfers.
Scheffler extended the PGA Tour’s longest active cuts streak to 66 with a bogey-free 65 in the second round, leaving him seven shots back of Hisatsune’s lead of 11-under after Friday.
A grip change between the second and third rounds continued to pay dividends as the world No. 1 climbed up the leaderboard.
Scheffler had his first birdie on the par-4 eighth and holed out a bunker shot at No. 10 for the first of consecutive birdies. He followed a three-putt bogey on the par-3 12th by getting up and down for birdie on the two back-nine par 5s, 13 and 15.
