Yosuke Tsukada is 18 holes away from ending his nine-year title drought on the JGTO as he signed for a composed three-under-par 67 to maintain his position atop the leaderboard after the third round of the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament on Saturday.
Related: Shogenji, Tsukada share honours on Day 2
Tsukada’s sole and last win on the JGTO came in 2016 when he lifted the JGT Championship Mori Building Cup. Now 40, the veteran will head into the final round with a two-shot cushion over American Neal Shipley and Korean Lee Sang-hee after compiling a three-day total of 10-under-par 200 at the Phoenix Country Club.
View this post on Instagram
Despite the pressure of leading the tournament on his own for the first time this week, Tsukada remained calm throughout his round, describing the day as one that “was over before I even realised.”
“There wasn’t much trouble, and I was able to go about things steadily. I made some good birdie putts today, and that really helped me get to three-under. From the start, that was my goal. I wasn’t really looking at anyone else’s scores. Of course, you will see the leaderboard, but I tried not to focus on others,” said Tsukada.
A birdie on the par-four fifth and another on the par-three sixth gave Tsukada early momentum after he had opened with a birdie on the first hole but dropped a shot on the third hole.
Despite dropping another shot on the 10th, Tsukada continued to stay patient, relying on his extensive course knowledge to navigate key moments.
“The fourth hole is tough. The pin positions don’t change much because the green slopes so severely. I’ve played here more than ten times, so I know that if the pin is where it usually is, the right bunker is fine. Even in the worst case, it’s bogey. Having that bigger-picture mindset helped,” said Tsukada.
View this post on Instagram
With much at stake this week, including the potential to reignite his career with a long-awaited victory, Tsukada insisted he felt no additional pressure, even as he reflected on his deep connection with the Dunlop brand.
“People around me say it’s an important stretch, but nothing has changed for me. I’m grateful people care, but I was able to play today with a very calm feeling. No pressure, no thoughts of having to shoot a certain score.”
“I owe a lot to Dunlop. I’ve been with Srixon since the brand launched, about 24 years now. Of course, I would love to give something back with a good result this week. I really feel that way. But golf doesn’t always go to plan, so all I can do is enjoy tomorrow and see what happens,” said Tsukada.
