(Photo credit score: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports)
Justin Suh shot a 67 on Saturday to maneuver into the highest spot on the Zozo Championship in Chiba, Japan, the primary time he is held the 54-hole lead or co-lead of a PGA Tour occasion.
Suh, a 26-year-old Californian, stands at 9-under 201 and is in search of his first profession win. To obtain it, he’ll have to carry off a pack of Americans proper behind him. Eric Cole (66 on Saturday) and second-round chief Beau Hossler (69) are one shot again, and two-time majors winner Collin Morikawa (66) trails Suh by two strokes.
This is new territory for Suh, who a 12 months in the past was the participant of the 12 months on the Korn Ferry Tour. He has two Top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour, together with a tie for sixth at The Players Championship in March.
“I think the experience of the Korn Ferry Tour was huge, and I think throughout this year I’ve put myself in this position a few times in some big tournaments,” he mentioned. “Every week you put yourself in this position you learn a little more.”
Suh posted three birdies in his first eight holes Saturday on the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, and in all, he had 5 birdies and two bogeys. The largest putt of the day come on the par-3 No. 16 when he drained a birdie putt that was near 40 ft.
He has shot par or higher in 11 consecutive rounds.
Suh can be paired with Cole and Hossler within the last group, together with his enjoying companions additionally in quest of their maiden tour victories, as Morikawa lurks. Morikawa is on the lookout for his sixth PGA Tour victory however first for the reason that 2021 DP World Tour Championship.
Morikawa’s 66 on Saturday was not with out its challenges. He opened with a double bogey on No. 1 and bogeyed the par-4 No. 4 to fall 9 off the tempo by 5 holes. But birdies at Nos. 6-8 and Nos. 13-16 helped to show round Morikawa’s spherical.
“I knew there were a lot of holes (remaining),” mentioned Morikawa, whose eight birdies tied for many on the spherical. “I simply knew I used to be nonetheless hitting my irons good. I simply needed to give myself alternatives. Just seeing good pictures, seeing high quality pictures going ahead, that is vital.
“I’ve seen that the past couple days — even though yesterday was a bad score — and I just kept my head down and kept grinding at it.”
Emiliano Grillo of Argentina (68) and Satoshi Kodaira (69) of Japan are 6-under for the event and tied for fifth, 4 pictures off the lead. Kurt Kitayama shot a 64, the day’s low spherical, to maneuver up 21 locations and into sole possession of seventh place.
–Field Level Media=