The Sentry Round 3: Matsuyama and Morikawa Trade 62s, and the Gap Stays at One

Saturday at Kapalua turned into a heavyweight bout in the final pairing, and neither fighter would go down. Hideki Matsuyama and Collin Morikawa each shot 11-under 62, and after 54 holes of relentless birdie-making, the gap between them is exactly where it started the day: one shot.

Matsuyama sits at 27-under 192, a 54-hole record on the Plantation Course, with Morikawa alone in second at 26 under. Thomas Detry is a distant third at 22 under after a 65, and Sungjae Im, who also shot 62, is fourth at 21 under. Harry Hall is fifth at 20 under, with Max Greyserman, Will Zalatoris and first-round leader Tom Hoge tied for sixth at 19 under.

Morikawa Lands the First Punch

Morikawa came out swinging. He was 5 under through his first five holes, a burst that included a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 fifth. For a moment, it looked like he might take Matsuyama's lead and run with it.

Matsuyama answered right away. He caught Morikawa on the very next hole, and from there the two traded birdies like it was a pro-am scramble. They were tied at the turn. Nobody blinked.

"Today was really, really good," Morikawa said, and that undersells it. According to the PGA TOUR, he had missed only two greens through 54 holes.

The Hole That Split Them

The difference came on the drivable par-4 14th. Matsuyama chipped to 3 feet and made birdie. Morikawa found a bunker off the tee, blasted out to 10 feet and missed. That is the one-shot margin they will take into Sunday, decided on a hole that both players can usually count on as a birdie chance.

The 16th summed up how absurd the golf was. Morikawa chipped to 20 inches for birdie. Matsuyama topped that with a lob wedge that stopped 8 inches away. Even the scary moment worked out for the leader: on the 17th, his tee shot bounced several times on a cart path, but he found the ball and kept rolling. He birdied four of his last five holes.

His card read 11 birdies, zero bogeys, a personal best for birdies in a round.

"Collin played well and I just kind of followed him, so good day," Matsuyama said. He also slipped in a little needle. "It was a lot of fun," Matsuyama said, "but I would like for him to take it easy tomorrow."

Four Putters and a Revelation

One of the quieter storylines of this week is on the greens. Matsuyama arrived in Maui with four putters, according to Golf Digest, and has settled on a new center-shafted Scotty Cameron blade. The putter has made a difference. Golf Digest reported he ranked 121st in strokes gained putting in 2024. This week he is eighth in that category, first in approach and a perfect 6 for 6 in scrambling.

That is a scary combination for anyone trying to chase him down. Ball striking has never been the question with Matsuyama. If the putter keeps cooperating, the field is playing for second.

Records Within Reach

The scoring numbers on Saturday were silly even by Kapalua standards. The field averaged 67.49, a record for the tournament since it moved to Kapalua in 1999, which works out to roughly five and a half shots under par per player.

Matsuyama's 192 also matched the PGA TOUR's 54-hole scoring record relative to par, a mark previously shared by Nick Dunlap at the 2024 American Express and Patrick Reed in 2014, per Golf Digest. The tournament record to beat is Cameron Smith's 34-under 258 from 2022. With 18 holes left, Matsuyama needs a 65 or better to take it.

The Rest of the Field

Detry shot 65 and still lost ground, which tells you everything about the pace up front. "I shot 8-under today, but didn't really feel like I shot 8-under," Detry said. Im matched the leaders with a 62 that included an eagle on the fifth. Greyserman went bogey-free for 63. Cam Davis made eagles on the fifth and 14th in a 64 that barely moved the needle.

Hoge, Thursday's leader, shot 68 and slid into a tie for sixth. On a day like this, 5 under felt like treading water.

Sunday's Rematch

This is not the first time Morikawa has stared at a big Sunday at Kapalua. Two years ago, he led by six heading into the final round, closed with a 72 and watched Jon Rahm win.

"I'm going to put everything out there tomorrow because I have the goal to win," Morikawa said.

Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion and a 10-time TOUR winner, is chasing a third win in roughly a year and a second Hawaii title after the 2022 Sony Open. Morikawa is after his seventh career win. One shot separates them, both are playing as well as anyone on the planet, and they will do it all again side by side on Sunday.

Get caught up with our Round 1 recap and Round 2 recap. Scores are 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 and leaderboard), Golf Digest, Field Level Media. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images via PGA TOUR.