Ren Yonezawa emerged as the leading local contender after three rounds at the Baycurrent Classic by carding a six-under-par 65 at the Yokohama Country Club on Saturday.
The 22-year-old put together a composed round marked by seven birdies against one bogey, lifting him to seven-under-par-206 total for the tournament and a tied-10th place on the leaderboard.
Related: Kazuki Higa makes the move at Baycurrent Classic
Yonezawa’s surge came on a day when conditions proved testing, with persistent rain and gusting winds challenging the top golfers from the PGA TOUR and JGTO.
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“It was tough out there, but I felt really good about how I played,” said Yonezawa, who credited his driver for setting the tone. “My tee shots have been solid all week, and today I finally started making the putts that I’d been missing over the last two days. That made a big difference.”
Despite the morning downpour, Yonezawa handled the demanding 7,315-yard par-71 layout well, picking up gains on holes one, three, six, eight, 12, 13 and 15 to keep his momentum.
One of Yonezawa’s proudest moments came at the par-four 14th, where a well-judged approach and clutch par save helped him to maintain his rhythm.
“The 14th hole played really long in the rain, almost like a par five,” he recalled. “I couldn’t reach the green in two, but I managed to save par from about three metres. That felt like a birdie.”
Drawing confidence from his familiarity with the venue that saw him clinch his second JGTO title at the Yokohama Minato Championship- Fujiki Centennial last year, Yonezawa added: “The layout and tees are quite different from when I won here, but I still feel comfortable around this course,” he said. “It suits my eye, and I’ve been able to play with confidence.”
Playing alongside international stars like Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, and Hideki Matsuyama, Yonezawa views this week as both a test and a learning experience.
“Competing here gives me a clear sense of what I need to improve to reach the PGA Tour level,” he said. “Watching how the overseas players attack courses — even on narrow fairways — has been eye-opening. They play fearlessly, and that’s something I can learn from.”
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Overnight leader Max Greyserman returned with a 71 to share the third round lead with Xander Schauffele with their matching 201 total.
