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Ryo Hisatsune chipped in for birdie in surprising fashion to cap a back-nine hot streak and overtake Japanese countryman Hideki Matsuyama for the second- round lead at the WM Phoenix Open on Friday in Arizona.
Hisatsune is 11 under for the week after his stellar 8-under-par 63. The 23-year-old is searching for his first win on the PGA Tour.
Phoenix Open leaderboard
Hisatsune went birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie at TPC Scottsdale’s 13th through 17th holes, including an 8-footer for eagle at the par-5 15th and a 7 1/2-foot birdie putt at the “Stadium Hole,” the par-3 16th. The latter tied him with Matsuyama, who was in the clubhouse at 10 under after a 64.
On the short par-4 17th, Hisatsune attempted to drive the green but ended up in the adjacent water hazard. After a penalty drop, he faced about 29 feet to the pin, and his chip tracked straight to the cup for the go-ahead birdie.
“It was very lucky, especially like little bit pulled. Really nice tee shot but I kind of a little bit into the water,” Hisatsune said. “Yeah, some more reset and then I going to make some chip-in.”
Now the youngster will play in the third round’s final group with Matsuyama, who was the first male golfer from Japan to win a major when he claimed the 2021 Masters.
“Yeah, yeah. Absolutely dream to play (with Matsuyama),” Hisatsune said. “Especially in the Phoenix, yeah.”
Matsuyama started his second round on the back nine and made his move early with six consecutive birdies at Nos. 13-18. At the Stadium Hole, he drained a putt from nearly 30 feet.
“It’s always exciting to finish 15, take a couple deep breaths, and, boy, you feel it when you walk through that tunnel out onto the 16 tee,” Matsuyama, the champion at Phoenix in 2016 and 2017, said through a translator.
“Then when I hole out there at 16 it’s kind of a relief, ‘Oh, I did it.'”
First-round leader Chris Gotterup settled for a 71 and is tied for third with Pierceson Coody (68) at 8 under. Si Woo Kim of South Korea had the round of the day, a 9-under 62 that vaulted him to 7 under, where he’s tied for fifth with Akshay Bhatia (67), Sahith Theegala (65) and Englishmen John Parry (65) and Matt Fitzpatrick (70).
Kim actually bogeyed his opening hole, the par-4 10th, to put himself behind the 8-ball at 3 over for the tournament. He had eight birdies plus an eagle putt the rest of the way.
“I had a great start season first three (events), so it helps me little nerve going, and then helps makes comfortable maybe rest of the season,” Kim said. “I think it was too much comfortable (Thursday) and helps me little fire going. And today I make bogey first hole so that makes me (think) like, whatever, just trying to good golf, and it worked.”
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was in danger of missing the cut after a surprising round of 73 on Thursday. He responded with a bogey-free, 6-under 65 in his second round to climb to 4 under par.
“Struck it much better today,” Scheffler said. “Yeah, felt a bit lost out there at times (Thursday), so today felt a lot better. Felt more in control of my game.”
The round was suspended due to darkness late Friday afternoon, and the cut line sits at 1 under par. Notable names to miss the cut include Brooks Koepka (2 over) in his second start back on the PGA Tour, along with Billy Horschel (3 over), Jordan Spieth (3 over), Tony Finau (3 over) and Brian Harman (5 over).
Just three players were still on the course when the horn sounded, and each of them can make the cut with a solid finish: Japan’s Keita Nakajima is 3 under and countryman Kensei Hirata is 1 under with one hole to finish, and South Korea’s S.T. Lee is even par with two holes to go. They will resume Saturday morning.
LIV heads to first-ever fourth round
LIV Golf spent four seasons promoting 54 holes as a core part of its identity. On Friday in Riyadh, it revealed a new side as the third round concluded with a leaderboard that didn’t decide anything yet. This is the league’s first regular-season event staged over 72 holes, a notable change for 2026.
After three rounds at Riyadh Golf Club, new LIV player Elvis Smylie and original league member Peter Uihlein are tied at 16-under 200, with Talor Gooch a shot back and 19 players within six of the lead.
Under LIV’s old format, Smylie and Uihlein would’ve been headed to a playoff. Instead, they get 18 more holes.
“Yeah, thanks for bringing that up,” Uihlein said, smiling after his 6-under- par 66. “I feel like 72 holes fits me a little better. If you would have told me at the beginning of the week, ‘Hey, you’d be tied for the lead after 54 and you have a chance to win on Sunday,’ that’s where you’d want to be. So I’d take it.”
Smylie is making his first start with Ripper GC and doesn’t have any LIV history with the 54-hole rhythm. He played his way into a tie for the lead with a bogey-free 7-under 65.
“I want to prove my worth in this league,” Smylie said, “and I want to establish myself as one of the best guys in this league, and the best way to do that is by going out and making a statement this week, and that’s what I’m doing a really good job with so far.”
In the team competition, Torque GC moved to 46-under, two clear of Smash GC after matching 65s from Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz. Smash GC is also trying to deliver a win in Gooch’s first event as captain, while Ripper GC sits one shot further back in third.
Ancer, who knows what it’s like to win in the shorter version of LIV, believes the longer tournaments can favor consistent golfers.
“I feel like 54 holes was good enough to figure out who’s playing the best golf. You just feel like it’s a little bit more of a sprint, have a little bit less time for you to make mistakes and come back from them,” Ancer said. “But then playing 72 holes, you feel like if you’re a steady player, that would maybe help you rise to the top of the leaderboard.”
That’s the new LIV reality. The league has added a fourth round. Now it’s about seeing who can handle it.
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