Golf

ZOZO Championship: Justin Suh Takes One-Stroke Lead into Final Round

Satoshi Kodaira was still in contention after a 69 that left him tied for fifth in the ZOZO Championship. Eric Cole and Beau Hossler were a shot off the pace.

Published on

October 21, 2023

Jim Armstrong

INZAI, Chiba Prefecture ― PGA Tour rookie Justin Suh took advantage of ideal conditions on Saturday, October 21 to fire a 3-under 67 and grab a one-stroke lead after three rounds at the ZOZO Championship.

Starting the day one stroke back of overnight leader Beau Hossler, Suh carded five birdies against a pair of bogeys at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club to finish at 9-under 201, one stroke ahead of fellow rookie Eric Cole and Hossler (69).

Suh took the lead with a birdie on the par-3 13th hole and then looked to be in trouble on the 15th when his approach landed in the green side bunker leaving him a difficult lie.

But he blasted out and two-putted to save par and later said that was key.

"Yeah, 15 was big," Suh said. "That up-and-down was critical, especially going into the last three. And 16 and 17, they're both difficult holes."

After the high winds on Friday, conditions were much better on Saturday and that was reflected by the lower scores.

Suh will be bidding for his first PGA Tour win on Sunday and said he will try to stay composed.

"Just a shot at a time," said Suh. "I think that's the most important. Just kind of be aware of myself, aware of the conditions. I think that's all you can do."

Cole fired a 66 that included six birdies and two bogeys, including one on the final hole which Suh also bogeyed.

"Overall, it's a good day," Cole said. "Sixty-six on a Saturday on the PGA Tour is pretty good. I obviously would have liked to finish better, but I think I'm in a decent position."

*Satoshi Kodaira (left) shakes hands with Beau Hossler during the third round of the ZOZO Championship. (©SANKEI)*

Kodaira Among the ZOZO Championship Contenders

Satoshi Kodaira, who competes on the Japan Golf Tour and the PGA Tour, was in the thick of things until a bogey on 17 saw him finish with a 69 and tied for fifth with Argentina's Emiliano Grillo (68).

First-round leader Collin Morikawa recovered from his 73 on Friday with a strong 66 that put him right back in contention for the title and in sole possession of fourth place.

Morikawa got off to a rough start with a double bogey on the first hole and a bogey on the fourth. But then he settled down with three straight birdies from Nos 6 to 8 and four straight from No 13.

"I just knew there were a lot of holes," Morikawa said of his mindset after the opening double bogey. "The double was just compounded by mistakes after mistakes. Unfortunately, I was up against a tree, took an unplayable. The three-putt on 4 was just … that stuff shouldn't happen but it did."

Kitayama Finishes Strong

American Kurt Kitayama had a spectacular 64 that featured seven birdies ― including back-to-back on the final two holes ― against a pair of bogeys for a 64 that left him all alone in seventh place at 5-under 205.

"I think my putting and chipping has been really good, especially after the first day," said Katayama, who had a 71 in the first round. "I hit it poorly and I kind of kept myself in it, could have easily gone bad. So I think that's been the biggest thing this week so far."

Keegan Bradley's chances of defending his title all but evaporated on Saturday after he finished with a 73 that included six bogeys and three birdies.