Hideki Matsuyama is right back in his comfort zone at TPC Scottsdale, holding a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Phoenix Open. The two-time champion (2016, 2017) carded a steady 68 on Saturday, three-under for the day, and while he narrowly missed a 15-foot birdie putt on 18 that could’ve given him a bit more breathing room, his experience around this course is showing.
The 33-year-old Japanese star had been tied with fellow countryman Ryo Hisatsune for much of the round, but the leaderboard shifted late when Hisatsune bogeyed the final hole, slipping one back and into a four-way tie for second. He’s now joined at 12-under by Nicolai Højgaard, Si Woo Kim, and Maverick McNealy-all within striking distance with 18 holes to go.
Just behind that pack is England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, sitting two shots off the lead at 11-under. Fitzpatrick has been lurking all week, and with his short game dialed in and a proven ability to grind on Sunday, he’s very much in the mix. He’s tied with three Americans-Michael Thorbjornsen, Jake Knapp, and Akshay Bhatia-each of whom has flashed moments of brilliance this week.
And then there’s World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who quietly posted a 67 on Saturday to climb to within five shots of the lead.
That might sound like a tall order, but Scheffler has a history here-he won this event four years ago after coming from nine shots back. So, yeah, don’t count him out just yet.
Scheffler admitted he made a small adjustment to his grip earlier in the week, and it paid off in a big way during the third round.
“I’ve always been a proponent of saying you can’t really find it during the tournament week,” Scheffler said Saturday. “But I found a little something in my grip yesterday that seemed to really help me get my hands more securely on the club.”
The difference was noticeable.
“Struck it much better today,” he added. “Felt a bit lost out there at times yesterday, so today felt a lot better.
Felt more in control of my game. You can obviously see that through the cleaner card today.”
With a packed leaderboard and a handful of big names still in the hunt, Sunday is shaping up to be a classic Phoenix Open finish-rowdy, unpredictable, and full of pressure-packed moments. Matsuyama has the edge for now, but with so many players within a couple of swings, the final round promises fireworks in the desert.