SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Inevitable. The word describes two-time Waste Management Phoenix Open champion Hideki Matsuyama perfectly.

Day three, or “moving day”, had fans packed along the ropes that lined each hole. The feeling was tense, as the final round looms with such a tight leaderboard.

Matsuyama is familiar with this feeling, as he looks to capture his third title at TPC Scottsdale. He seems to take a liking to this course, with a chance of becoming the fifth three-time champion ever at the tournament. 

(through translation) “Having won here twice, it does help, but it’s a brand new tournament and there is a lot of guys there at the top that will be battling.” Matsuyama said. “So I just need to play well.”

One of these players that is battling is another Japanese player, Ryo Hisatsune. Hisastune finished in second last week at Torrey Pines and, again, goes into the final round tied for second. 

The 23-year-old from Okayama, Japan, searches for his first PGA Tour win after falling just short last week. This is the first time Hisatsune has made the cut at the Waste Management as he tries to get over the hump of past struggles. 

“Yeah, it’s still like a really good opportunity for me, so like going to more – just one more day…I’m happy to play just minus one today, so, yeah, ready for tomorrow,” Hisatsune said. 

Though, the biggest fan attraction on the course was World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Groups of hundreds, maybe thousands, followed him around the course to observe the pinnacle of the sport of golf. 

Scheffler had a rough go of things in the first round, shooting two-over par. Though, Scheffler can’t be held at bay forever, something he has proven over the last couple years. 

Scheffler shot a much needed six-under par on Friday and shot four-under par on Saturday. His highlight of round three came on the par-four 10th hole. From the bunker, Scheffler drained his shot for birdie which got his back nine rolling with a bang. 

He ended the day in a tie for sixteenth, five shots out of the lead. He is not out of contention for the title, but he will need some help. 

“Going to need a special round,” Scheffler said. “I’ll be starting on the front nine tomorrow, so if I can get out there and make a few birdies on the harder nine and get some momentum going into the back, you never know what can happen.”

Similarly to Scheffler, Si Woo Kim also shot a 73 in the first round. Though, unlike Scheffler, Kim finished tied for second on Saturday after an astounding 62 on Friday. 

Kim has been playing some great golf recently, with his worst finish of the year being a tie for eleventh. However, his first win of the season still remains elusive despite his strong start. 

“I mean not really great, but I putt consistency, so I think I’m getting close to win. I’ve had a chance to win last three weeks, so maybe the experience help,” Kim said. 

However, it wouldn’t be a moving day without mentioning the biggest movers. Maverick McNealy, Nicolai HØjgaard and Michael Thorbjornsen all shot a day three best of 65 and finished in the top ten of the field.

While McNealy has one win on the tour back in 2024, HØjgaard and Thorbjornsen are both chasing their own first win on tour. 

Thorbjornsen, a Stanford alumnus, broke onto the tour recently in 2024 as the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University Class. HØjgaard, on the other hand, joined the tour in 2019 and has three second place finishes. Additionally, he has won four times internationally despite his struggles on tour. 

“I’ve been really happy with the way I’ve been striking the ball…managed to string in a few birdies in the end today, and yeah, it will be fun going into tomorrow,” HØjgaard said. 

All in all, the title is up for grabs on Sunday.

What a year for the Waste Management Phoenix Open it has been so far. The top nine players in the field are all one or two shots behind Matsuyama’s lead. Who doesn’t love a tight race on the final day? 

Something of note: Matsuyama is a perfect 5-for-5 in victories after having a solo 54-hole lead. However, trends can’t hold true forever, especially in golf where the winner changes just about every week. 

“The People’s Open” – as they call it – is living up to the name. Sunday is shaping up to be a phenomenal finish in competition for the Crystal Thunderbird Trophy.

Now, just one question remains. Will a player hoist their first ever PGA trophy, or will we see history repeat itself?