YOKOHAMA — Defending champion Xander Schauffele surged into contention at the US PGA Tour's Baycurrent Classic on Saturday, carding a roller-coaster 6-under-par 65 to sit four shots off the lead heading into Sunday's final round. The double major winner moved to 9-under overall in sunny conditions in Yokohama, trailing co-leaders Michael Brennan, Zach Bauchou and Jacob Bridgeman, who share the top spot at 13-under par.
Schauffele called it "a weird day" after a volatile front nine that featured two eagles and a double bogey. He opened with a bogey before answering with two birdies and an eagle on the par-5 fourth, then immediately gave shots back with a double bogey on the next hole before adding another eagle on the par-5 sixth. He closed with four more birdies and another bogey to post the 65. "It was a lot of good, honestly some really bad in there as well," said Schauffele, who won Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021. "But overall, if someone told me I was going to shoot 65, I'd probably take it."
Brennan, Bauchou and Bridgeman will take a one-stroke advantage into the final day over a chasing pack that includes Australia's Adam Scott. Bridgeman is looking for his third win on the tour this year. Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 champion in Japan, is eight shots back after a 2-under-par 69 that undid a blistering start. The 2021 Masters champion rattled in four birdies and an eagle on his first seven holes before carding five bogeys and just one more birdie on the back nine. "It was a mix of great golf and the worst golf," Matsuyama said. "But it wasn't that I played absolutely terribly on the back nine. It was little things, so I just need to make some small adjustments to make sure that doesn't happen again tomorrow."
Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth sits six shots off the lead at 7-under overall after a 3-under-par 68 as he chases his first win on the tour since April 2022. Collin Morikawa, the 2023 champion in Japan, is further back at 4-under overall heading into Sunday, when Schauffele will have a chance to retain his title.