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Colin Morikawa will be chasing more than his first tournament win in 18 months on Sunday.
He pursues perfection, or the game of golf allows anyone to come close to it.
Morikawa posted an 8-under 65 in the third round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort on Maui to take a six-shot lead into the final round.
Most impressively, the 25-year-old University of California graduate played 54 holes without bogeying. He hit his 24th under par, which included him 22 birdies, 1 eagle (he sunk a 12-foot putt on his par-5 5th hole on Saturday), and zero his bogey. will be
“Today was very simple. For the last three days, what I was looking for was sort of where the ball was going,” Morikawa said. “I kind of know what I’m doing right. When I hit a bad shot, I know what I did wrong. That’s the biggest thing.”
Morikawa and Masters champion Scotty Schaeffler each recorded an eagle on Saturday.
Morikawa wasn’t the only alumnus to put in a great performance on Saturday.
Max Houma fell to a tie for 27th after the second round, but scored a career-high 10 birdies, including 6 birdies on the final seven holes, completed 63 rounds without bogeys and tied for 7th with 16. became. under.
What Morikawa is trying to do is unusual. He is only four golfers in PGA Tour history who have completed 72 holes without a bogey.
Most recently, Tom Kim won the Shriners Children’s Open in October. Joaquin Niemann won the 2021 Rocket Mortgage classic without a bogey as he played four rounds and earned an asterisk for making a bogey during the playoffs.
When JT Poston made it to the 2019 Wyndham Championship, he was the first to do so since Lee Trevino at the 1974 Greater New Orleans Open.
Morikawa, who fell from 2nd to 11th in the world last year, has not won a single match since winning the British Open held at Royal St. George’s in England in July 2021.
Morikawa, who has won six times since turning pro in June 2019, made nearly $5 million last season but failed to top the list in victories.
After birdies on the 6th, 9th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th, he and Eagle lead JJ Spawn, Schaeffler and Matt Fitzpatrick by six, all tied at 18-under. caught up.
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Kim and Jon Rahm share fifth place on -17, one stroke ahead of Homa and Songjaeim, who are tied for seventh.
Spahn isn’t convinced anyone will catch Morikawa on Sunday.
“He puts really good. He doesn’t miss a shot,” Spaun said. “It’s a combo that’s hard to beat.”
Only six players have led by six strokes or more in the final round of a PGA event without winning. Most recently, that fate met Dustin Johnson at his HSBC Champions in Shanghai in 2017.
Morikawa was able to move to No. 1 in the world rankings at the Hero World Challenge in December 2021 by leading by five strokes over 54 holes, but was unable to close it out in the final round.
“I’m fine,” he said. “I gave up.”
The 32-year-old Homa, who is about to have his best season on tour, finished tied for seventh on Saturday’s leaderboard after moving up to third. He is eight strokes behind Morikawa.
He almost holed in one on the 204-yard, par-3 eighth hole. His shot landed on the fringe of the green and spun back toward the hole, stopping him less than a foot from his target.
“No! Enter!” Homa shouted at that moment.
Did not enter, but playing partner Justin Thomas was there to comfort Homa. “I thought there was no chance,” Thomas told him. “And I thought it was a really good opportunity.”
Homa, pictured below, sinking a long putt, wasn’t sure why he played so well.
“I didn’t feel like I played four shots better than the last two days combined, but I did,” he said. “It’s not a very good game for your mind, but I’m glad I shot 10 under.”
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Colin Morikawa and Scotty Schaeffler cover photo by Kyle Terada, USA Today
Follow Cal Sports Report’s Jeff Faraudo on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
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