Hideki Looks to Have 'Final-Round Fun'

Pinehurst, North Carolina, United States: Hideki Matsuyama maintained his bid to become the first Asian winner of the US Open with a gutsy third-round performance at Pinehurst No 2.

The two-time Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) winner traded four birdies against as many bogeys en route to posting an even-par 70 on Saturday.

That gave him a 54-hole total of two-under 208 and a share of firth place – five strokes behind pace-setting American Bryson DeChambeau.

Matsuyama didn’t have the best of starts to the penultimate round, managing one birdie amid three bogeys in the first seven holes. However, he fought back with birdies on 11, 12 and 14, all made from inside seven feet.

“The hole locations today were definitely tougher than the first two rounds. Wherever they were placed, it was very difficult on this type of golf course. I felt the course was firmer than it had been the last two days,” said 32-year-old Matsuyama, a nine-time PGA Tour winner.

“If I can adjust my shots and putt well, I think I’ll be able to enjoy tomorrow. It should be fun,” added Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters Tournament champion.

Two shots behind Matsuyama in a share of ninth place heading into the final round is Korean Tom Kim, whose eventful 71 included five birdies, four bogeys, and a double-bogey.

Kim, a three-time PGA Tour winner and ex-Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, endured a roller-coaster front nine, accumulating five birdies, including a hat-trick of gains from the seventh hole. However, he also dropped four shots, highlighted by a three-putt double-bogey on the second hole.

After the turn, Kim was unable to make further progress and was set back by further bogeys on 12 and 15.

“I kind of expected it was going to happen a little bit. US Open, we’re going to have some bad breaks. Trying to get myself in it,” said Kim, who will be aiming to improve on his joint eighth finish last year.

"Going to the back nine under par gives you room to have a few mistakes, because you're going to have some. I feel like when you grind it out and you make tough pars, you definitely gain a lot.

“It played really tough coming in. Some of the holes I parred, felt like they were birdies. I did a really good job to shoot one-over-par,” he added.

DeChambeau, the US Open champion in 2020, carded a 67 and will take a three-shot lead into the final round over Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy (69), American Patrick Cantlay (70) and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon (69).

Matsuyama is two strokes further back alongside second-round leader Ludvig Aberg of Sweden. The only other players still in red figures are England’s Tyrrell Hatton and American Tony Finau, who are equal seventh on one-under 209.

In the final round, Matsuyama will play alongside Aberg in what will be the third-from-last pairing.