Tiger Woods held a three-stroke lead over local favorite Hideki Matsuyama after 11 holes of the fourth round of the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP on Sunday.
Woods, who has led from the opening round of the PGA TOUR’s first tournament in Japan, carded three birdies against a lone bogey when the fourth round was suspended due to darkness.
Woods is making his first start in his 23rd season on the PGA TOUR. If he can hold onto his lead through the remaining seven holes, he will reach 82 wins and tie the career record held by Sam Snead.
‘Today has been a long day in the saddle, so early wake-up call tomorrow and back at it again,’ Woods said. ‘I’m gonna try to win, there is no doubt about that. I have a job to do tomorrow, start off from the 12th hole, it’s not one of the easiest of holes so right out of the gate I’ve got one of the hardest holes on the golf course.’
Matsuyama made things interesting when he finished with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 11 and 12. Before that he was five strokes back which would have put him in a difficult position on Monday.
‘Three strokes behind right now,’ Matsuyama said. ‘I have a lot of ground to make up tomorrow. I need to play well to even have a chance, but I will give it a shot and do my best.’
Matsuyama started the fourth round at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club course three strokes back of Woods after completion of the third round earlier Sunday when Woods shot 4-under 66. In the fourth round, the Japanese star faltered with two bogeys on the front nine but made up for it with his two birdies on his final two holes.
Woods got off to a strong start to the fourth round with a birdie on the first hole.
His only trouble of the day came when his tee shot on the par-4 fourth went into the rough. His second shot was a routine chip shot from the side of the green which was short, barely reaching the green. He then two-putted for his only bogey of the fourth round.
Woods came right back with a birdie on the next hole and added another on the sixth.
Because torrential rain washed out play on Friday, the second round was moved to Saturday. To make up for the lost day, the players started the fourth round immediately after finishing the third to get in as many holes as possible.
Gary Woodland was tied in third place at 12-under with Sungjae Im, while Rory McIlroy was fifth at 11-under with just two holes to play.
Woods last played in an official tournament in Japan in 2006 at the Dunlop Phoenix, where he lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington. He won the Dunlop Phoenix the two previous years.
