Hideki Matsuyama takes lead at PGA Phoenix Open with Ryo Hisatsune chasing him

[p]The 33-year-old Japanese star, who won the Phoenix title in 2016 and 2017, made five birdies and two bogeys to stand on 13-under 200 after 54 holes at TPC Scottsdale.[/p][p]"[b]It was a great day,[/b]" [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/matsuyama-hideki/GOHJOEb5/"]Matsuyama[/a] said through a translator. "[b]I hope tomorrow just to play well and stay on top.[/b][/p][p]"[b]Having won here twice, it does help, but it's a brand new tournament and there are a lot of guys there at the top that will be battling, so I just need to play well.[/b]"[/p][p]Halfway leader [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hisatsune-ryo/bcC14WvA/"]Ryo Hisatsune[/a], 10 years Matsuyama's junior and seeking a first PGA triumph, played alongside his idol and nearly shared the lead with his countryman, but missed a par putt at 18 from just beyond five feet for a bogey to stumble into a share of second on 201.[/p][p]"[b]Kind of a first today for Japan to have two Japanese pros play in a final group,[/b]" Matsuyama said. "[b]I was hoping we could do it tomorrow[/b]."[/p][p]Dane [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hojgaard-nicolai/nFdhtZdB/"]Nicolai Hojgaard[/a] birdied five of the last six holes to fire a bogey-free 65 and shared second with Hisatsune, American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcnealy-maverick/0zWorABC/"]Maverick McNealy[/a], who shot 65, and South Korean [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kim-si-woo/AVOmsy0G/"]Kim Si-woo[/a], who shot 66.[/p][p]"[b]How special to play with Hideki,[/b]" Hisatsune said. "[b]It's still a really good opportunity for me[/b]."[/p][p]World number one [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/scheffler-scottie/bXfIuBYu/"]Scottie Scheffler[/a], chasing a third Phoenix win, fired a 67 to stand on 205 after starting seven adrift.[/p][p]"[b]I felt like I was really close to doing something special,[/b]" Scheffler said. "[b]I've put myself behind the eight-ball but that doesn't mean I'm out of the tournament necessarily.[/b]"[/p][p]Matsuyama chases a 12th US PGA Tour title and first since last year's Tournament of Champions.[/p][embed guid="7a87e947-421e-489f-a298-07bcb430edef" url="https://x.com/UnderdogGolf/status/2020283040686076335?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Matsuyama shared the lead when he found a fairway bunker off the 10th tee but blasted to just inside 11 feet and sank a birdie putt. Hisatsune birdied from just inside 10 feet to stay level at the top at 12-under.[/p][p]McNealy sank a 33-foot birdie putt at 14 and tapped in at the par-five 15th for his third consecutive birdie and sixth in eight holes to grab the lead but Matsuyama's tap-in birdie at the par-five 13th tied him for the lead.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fitzpatrick-matthew/6whOHmtf/"]Fitzpatrick[/a] holed out from 50 feet for birdie at 14 then pitched inches from the hole to birdie 15, but he endured a double-bogey disaster at the famed stadium-hole 16th and closed with a bogey to fall back.[/p][p]A bogey at 17 dropped McNealy behind Matsuyama and Hisatsune birdied from just inside nine feet at 17 to match Matsuyama only to bogey the last.[/p][p]Matsuyama found the left rough off the first tee but sank a 16-foot birdie putt to grab a share of the lead.[/p][p]Both he and Hisatsune made bogey at the second hole and birdied the third. Matsuyama sank a stunning 47-foot birdie putt at the par-three fourth then made bogey at five while Hisatsune went bogey-birdie in the same span.[/p][h2]'Did what I could'[/h2][p]Scheffler, who won the 2022 Phoenix Open despite trailing by nine after 36 holes, birdied the eighth, holed out from a greenside bunker from 49 feet for birdie at the 10th and made a 16-foot birdie putt at 11.[/p][p]The four-time major winner made bogey at the 12th but answered with birdies at the 13th and 15th.[/p][p]"[b]Overall two solid days,[/b]" Scheffler said. "[b]Would have liked to have made a few more birdies coming in but I did what I could.[/b]"[/p]