Baycurrent Classic Round 3: Xander Schauffele Catches Max Greyserman in the Yokohama Rain

A four-shot lead is a lot of rope. On a soaked Saturday in Yokohama, Max Greyserman watched almost all of it slip through.

Rain fell from start to finish in the third round of the Baycurrent Classic, and the leaderboard that had looked so orderly on Friday night got rearranged in a hurry. Greyserman posted an even-par 71. Xander Schauffele, four back at the start of the day, shot 4-under 67 and caught him. The two will sleep on a share of the lead at 12-under 201, with five players lurking three shots back at 9 under.

The Seventh Hole Problem

Greyserman has held or shared the lead since Thursday afternoon. The trouble arrived at the par-3 seventh, where a double bogey handed back two shots of the overnight cushion in one hole. A bogey at the par-4 11th took more. Greyserman made three birdies on the day, which in the rain was not bad at all, but they only covered the damage.

Greyserman did not dress it up afterward. The course was playing very long in the wet, and the 30-year-old said there were a couple of mistakes in there that do not usually happen.

"The conditions were tough and I didn't really adapt to the elements that well, but it's a new day tomorrow," Greyserman said, per the AP.

Here is the thing about that 71, though. On a day built for bogeys, it kept Greyserman on top, and for the second straight year Greyserman will play in the final pairing at this event. A year ago that final walk ended one shot short. The opportunity is right there again.

Schauffele Plays the Weather

Schauffele's round was a clinic in staying patient when the conditions are not. The two-time major champion went out in 4 under on the front nine, then fought through a soggy back nine with two birdies and two bogeys. The one that mattered came at the par-4 17th, a birdie that pulled Schauffele level at the top of the board. Six birdies, two bogeys, 67.

It is a big moment in a season that has not given Schauffele many of them. Schauffele said it was the first time all year being in real contention, per Field Level Media. Another TOUR title would be the 10th of Schauffele's career and the first in more than a year.

There is also a personal layer to this one. Schauffele's mother was born in Taiwan and grew up in Japan, and Schauffele's grandparents have been on site this week.

"It would be special obviously, my grandparents here, my mom growing up here with her brother as well," Schauffele said, per the AP.

Five at 9 Under

The chase group is crowded and varied. Defending champion Nico Echavarria shot 69 and is right back in the frame, three shots behind the lead with the memory of last year's late birdies still fresh. "With these conditions, I'm very proud of the way I fought today to give myself a chance," Echavarria said, per the AP.

Michael Thorbjornsen and Byeong Hun An each posted 4-under 66, the best numbers among the contenders on a day when anything under 70 felt like theft. Garrick Higgo (68) and Si Woo Kim (69) round out the group at 9 under. Kim has gone 64 and 69 since an even-par opener in the wind, quietly climbing all week.

The Big Names in the Rain

Alex Smalley and Alex Noren, who started the day sharing second, could not keep pace in the rain and slid behind that group of five. Hideki Matsuyama, the home favorite, was hanging around until a late double bogey dropped the 2021 Masters champion back to 4 under. Collin Morikawa sits 10 shots back at 2 under.

The three days have offered three completely different golf courses. Thursday was wind, Friday was calm and scoring was easy, and Saturday was steady rain. Schauffele summed up the whiplash on Friday, calling it crazy to play the course in two completely different ways. Now there is a third.

Sunday Stakes

This is the PGA TOUR's only event in Japan, and the 500 FedExCup points to the winner matter in a FedExCup Fall where the top 100 keep full status for 2026. For Greyserman, a first TOUR win would finally close the book on a year of near misses, including last year's runner-up here and a playoff loss at the Rocket Classic. For Schauffele, it would end a long wait in front of family. For the five at 9 under, three shots with 18 holes left on a course that has changed personality every day is nothing.

Two players share the lead, five more are within three, and the final round starts from scratch.

Catch up on the week so far in our Round 1 recap and Round 2 recap. Full scoring is on the official PGA TOUR leaderboard (opens in a new tab), and the TOUR's Round 3 recap (opens in a new tab) has more.

Sources: PGA TOUR (Round 3 recap, leaderboard), AP, Field Level Media, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Flashscore. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.