Saturday's golf: Justin Suh takes first 54-hole lead into final round of Zozo Championship
Inzai City, Japan — Justin Suh shot a 3-under 67 on Saturday to lead the third round of the Zozo Championship, the first time he's the leader going into the final day of a PGA Tour event, and also looking of his first PGA Tour victory.
Just one shot behind are fellow Americans Eric Cole and Beau Hossler, who are also seeking their first PGA Tour victories. Cole shot 66 and Hossler, the second-round leader, had a 68 on a sunny fall day at the Narashino Country Club just outside Tokyo.
To make the three very uncomfortable, Collin Morikawa — the first-round leader — is just two shots back after a 66. Morikawa is looking to break a “mini-slump” since winning the 2021 British Open and the DP World Tour Championship later that year. He also won the PGA Championship in 2020.
Suh played on the Korn Ferry Tour, the developmental feeder for the PGA Tour, and credits the experience there for his growing maturity.
“Throughout this year I’ve put myself in this position a few times in some big tournaments,” Suh said. “Every week you put yourself in this position you learn a little piece of it.”
Suh is a former No. 1-ranked world amateur and a former conference player of the year at the University of Southern California.
“I think just gaining the experience is the big part," Suh added. "Hopefully, you know, I just come here and just do what we’ve been doing; try to find fairways, greens and just be aware of all the changing conditions.”
Morikawa hit only three fairways in the wind-blown 73 in the second round. He was hardly any better Saturday, hitting four. But despite dropping three shots over the first four holes, he recovered with eight birdies and a bogey over the last 14 holes.
“It wasn’t an inability to handle the wind, it was just an inability to hit fairways. And that continued today,” Morikawa said. “Look, the irons still really good. It’s not the irons, it’s just can I manage from the middle of the fairway or not.”
He almost predicted he'll be a major threat on Sunday to the three ahead of him.
“I haven’t had a round like that in a while. I think it just shows that my head’s in the right space.”
Hossler said the same thing about hitting in the fairways, and several players mentioned reading the changing wind direction with a sunny day predicted for Sunday. Overnight rain was predicted for late Saturday.
“The key out here is absolutely to get the ball in the fairway because playing out of this zoysia rough, you just have no clue what it’s going to do.” Hossler said.
Morikawa has distant roots in Japan, so winning here would be special. There are also several Japanese players — or players with Japanese roots — in the chase.
Satoshi Kodaira of Japan is three back at 6-under 204 after a 69. American Kurt Kitayama had the low round Saturday of 64, leaving him alone at four back. And Ryo Ishikawa of Japan carded 69, in a group of three that's five off the pace.
LPGA
Former Women's British Open champion Ashleigh Buhai shot a 3-under 69 to move into a share of the third-round lead at the LPGA South Korea tournament.
Buhai and Minjee Lee, who shot 71, had 12-under totals of 204 on the Seowon Valley Country Club course outside Seoul.
Defending champion Lydia Ko, a South Korean-born New Zealander, shot 69 and was a stroke behind and tied for third with American Alison Lee, who shot 67.
Celine Boutier, who won the Scottish Open and the LPGA major Evian Championship back to back in August, had the lead briefly on the back nine but bogeys on 17 and 18 left her with a 68. She was tied for fifth with American Lauren Coughlin (67), two strokes behind the leaders.
No. 1-ranked Lilia Vu shot a 74 and was well back at 3-over.
The South Korea tournament is the second of four in the LPGA Tour‘s Asian swing. Angel Yin, who shot 71 and is four strokes off the lead,won the LPGA Shanghai event last week. The tour moves to Malaysia and Japan over the next two weeks.
Europe
Jeff Winther and Matti Schmid shot 7-under 65s to take a two-stroke lead over defending champion Adrián Otaegui into the final round of the Andalucia Masters in Spain.
Winther enjoyed a flawless third round with the Danish player making seven birdies. Schmid joined him at the top of the leaderboard after six birdies and an eagle, to go with the German's one bogey. They are 14-under 202 overall.
Otaegui (69), the local favorite, is their nearest chaser at 12 under. France's Jeong weon Ko (70) is three shots back.
Winther is aiming for his second European tour win after winning the 2021 Mallorca Open. He has two top-10 finishes in his last three events. Schmid is searching for his first tour title.
U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark (71), the only top-10 player in the field, is in a tie for 49th at 3-under.
LIV
Dustin Johnson and Talor Gooch each made consecutive birdies late in their matches that sent their respective teams into the final round of the LIV Golf team championship in Doral, Florida.
Johnson let an early 3-up lead against Phil Mickelson get away, and they were all square going to the 16th hole at Trump Doral. Johnson birdied the next two holes for a 2-and-1 victory, a decisive point for his defending champion 4 Aces team.
Gooch was 1 down to Eugenio Chacarra when he birdied two straight holes to go 1 up going to their final hole. Gooch won with a par to make it 2 up, and it was enough for the Range Goats to beat Fireballs and stay in the hunt for the $16 million team prize.
Joaquin Niemann and his Torque team had no trouble against Stinger, winning both singles and the foursomes match. Bryson DeChambeau held on to beat Martin Kaymer as his Crushers won both singles matches against the Cleeks.
That means 4 Aces, Range Goats, Crushers and Torque will compete for the big prize. Sunday's final round is stroke play, and the scores of all four players count toward the team total.