Katsuragawa ties course record to take over at Genesis Championship
Sunday will decide both the title and positions around the tour-card cutoff.
- Yuto Katsuragawa turned a five-shot deficit after two rounds into a two-shot advantage going into the final day of the Genesis Championship.
- The Japanese player shot 63 on Saturday to reach 13 under; Casey Jarvis remained his closest challenger at 11 under.
- Katsuragawa made no bogeys at Woo Jeong Hills in Cheonan.
- Four consecutive birdies from the second launched his charge, followed by gains at eight, 14, 15 and 18.
Yuto Katsuragawa turned a five-shot deficit after two rounds into a two-shot advantage going into the final day of the Genesis Championship. The Japanese player shot 63 on Saturday to reach 13 under; Casey Jarvis remained his closest challenger at 11 under.
Katsuragawa made no bogeys at Woo Jeong Hills in Cheonan. Four consecutive birdies from the second launched his charge, followed by gains at eight, 14, 15 and 18. The final short putt completed a round matching the course record of 63, established by Ji-man Kang in 2006.
The day’s reversal was not simply one exceptional scorecard. Jarvis had led by three during the round but lost momentum on the back nine: an out-of-bounds tee shot at 12 was followed by bogeys at 12 and 13. His attempt for eagle at the closing hole stayed out.
Behind Jarvis, Si Woo Kim, Sanghun Shin and Antoine Rozner stood at ten under. Jorge Campillo’s 66 took him to nine under, leaving four shots to recover. That gap preserves a contest: Katsuragawa’s lead after 54 holes is not yet a victory.
He began the week 106th in the Race to Dubai, with his exemption from a 2024 victory expiring at season’s end. After Genesis, the top 100 retain full playing rights and the top 70 advance to Abu Dhabi. Katsuragawa has turned a survival battle into a title challenge; final positions await Sunday.
Katsuragawa already knows how to finish an important tournament with 63: that was his closing score when he won his first DP World Tour title at Taiheiyo Club by three shots. His route included turning professional in 2020, a Japan Challenge Tour victory and Japan Golf Tour rookie honours in 2022.
At the other end of the rankings battle, Sean Crocker shot 69 and occupied the provisional cutoff position, 100th. Speaking to the tour, he described fatigue after a 12-week stretch and the need to handle mistakes patiently. Sunday’s scores therefore matter well beyond the last group: a projected tour card is not a guarantee.
Sources: DP World Tour, GDO, Golf Planète, EFE, Korea Open.
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