Australians Adam Scott and Cam Davis have shot scorching rounds of nine-under 64 yet still lost ground to Hideki Matsuyama and Collin Morikawa at the PGA Tour's year-opening birdie-fest in Hawaii.
Major winners Matsuyama and Morikawa appear set for a final round shootout after both posted 11-under 62s in The Sentry on the Plantation course in Kapalua, Maui on Saturday.
Japanese superstar Matsuyama leads at 27 under, one shot clear of American Morikawa, with a further four shots back to third-placed Belgian Thomas Detry (65).
Scott and Davis are tied ninth but nine shots adrift of Matsuyama.
Veteran world No.18 Scott has picked up where he left off in his hot finish to the 2024 season, making 10 birdies in his round, seven on the front nine, with his sole bogey coming at the 10th.
Davis posted two eagles - at the par 5 fifth and 14th - with one bogey in his round.
'That's some of the best golf I played in a while, and it will be fun to keep it going," said Davis.
Fellow Australian Jason Day had a 68 to be tied 33rd at 11 under.
Matsuyama had a shot at tying the course record with a long eagle attempt from just short of the 18th green.
Morikawa briefly took the lead on the front nine by starting five under in five holes, including a 25-foot eagle putt on the fifth hole during a display of sublime shotmaking.
"Collin played well and I just kind of followed him, so good day," Matsuyama said. "It was a lot of fun, but I would like for him to take it easy (Sunday)."
That won't be happening.
"I'm going to put everything out there tomorrow because I have the goal to win," Morikawa said. "When you're playing that well, everyone talks about being in the zone, but you really are just focused on every shot."
The 11 birdies for Matsuyama are the most he has made in a round on the PGA Tour. His 27-under 192 score is a 54-hole record on the Plantation course.
It was reminiscent of 2022, when Australia's Cameron Smith set the tournament record — and PGA Tour record to par — in winning at 34-under 258. The conditions were abnormally calm that year, and this year wasn't much different.
Three years ago, Smith and Jon Rahm were tied for the lead after the third round five shots clear of everyone else.
South Korea's Sungjae Im matched the 62s of Matsuyama and Morikawa on Saturday to sit outright fourth at 21 under.
- with The AP
