Crowded leaderboard sets up compelling finish at the Baycurrent Classic

The Baycurrent Classic is set for a compelling finish at Yokohama Country Club in Yokohama, Japan. Michael Brennan, Zach Bauchou and Jacob Bridgeman are tied for the lead at 13 under par, while five players are one shot back, including Adam Scott, Justin Thomas and Keith Mitchell. Max Homa is 10 under and three shots behind, while Xander Schauffele is four shots off the lead.

It is only the second time this season that three players have shared the 54-hole lead.

Brennan is seeking his second win of the season. Bridgeman, who won the Biltmore Championship Asheville last month, is chasing his third victory and could make it two wins in consecutive starts. Bauchou, a 30-year-old rookie, is still looking for his first PGA Tour win, but this is only his 31st start.

“I just feel like my game has been pretty solid all year,” Bauchou said. “The weeks I’ve driven it well, I haven’t hit my irons that well, and the weeks that I’ve hit my irons that well, I haven’t driven it that well. But this week I’ve driven the ball pretty well, which is important out here because the fairways are pretty narrow, and then I’ve hit a lot of short iron shots. So it’s matched up pretty nice, which is kind of what you have to do to have a chance to win. Definitely excited for that.”

The chasers have more established résumés. Thomas has traditionally played well overseas. He has been runner-up in this event twice, and four of his 16 PGA Tour victories have come in Malaysia or South Korea.

“I wish I knew [why I played well here] because I would love to channel it year-round,” Thomas said. “I’m not sure. I have a great track record. I’m going to try to use that to my advantage. I really enjoy coming to these events. I think it’s just something to be said and kind of cool and special when you can play in front of people that we’re never really going to get the chance to be in front of and see and play. I think the golf courses are obviously very, very cool and unique. It feels like a lot more of an experience than just another golf tournament. There could be something to be said for that. I’d like to figure it out because it would be nice to do more often.”

Scott is a Masters champion and 14-time PGA Tour winner, but he has not won on Tour since the 2020 Genesis Invitational.

“It’s been like six years since I’ve won on the PGA Tour; I’m frustrated by that,” Scott said. “I feel like there’s been some good golf in there and I haven’t made the most of it, but it also shows how hard it is to win on the PGA Tour now. So this is a great chance for me tomorrow to go out and have a fantastic round and hopefully it’s better than everyone else.”

The final round can be watched on Golf Channel from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. ET on Saturday night into Sunday morning.