Unfazed Kono sets sight on podium finish

Yuki Kono birdied seven of his first nine holes en route to establishing a two-shot lead after Saturday's third round at the JAPAN PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP by Satosyokuhin in Tochigi.

The 36-year-old put himself on the cusp of a maiden JGTO victory after firing an eight-under-par 64 to seize the top spot from overnight leader Ryo Ishikawa, who could only manage a 69. Kono now sits at 19-under 197 for the tournament.

Kono built on his sizzling front-nine performance with two more birdies on the 14th and 16th holes at Nishinasuno Country Club.

However, his round was marred by a three-putt bogey on the final hole, leaving him with a two-shot advantage.

Ishikawa struggled to find birdies, but still delivered a solid performance. After an early bogey on the second hole, he responded with gains on holes three, five, 11, and 15, keeping pace with Kono.

Taiko Nishiyama secured sole possession of third place at 16-under, thanks to a strong finish with three consecutive birdies for a round of 67. One shot behind, tied for fourth at 15-under, are Suguru Shimoke and Kota Kaneko, who posted rounds of 69 and 70 respectively.

Kono, making his first JGTO appearance this season, has been in contention throughout the tournament.

He opened with a stellar 64 to tie for second place, then posted a 69 on Friday, slipping to tied fifth.

"I'm honestly as surprised as anyone," said Kono of his good run this week.

"Despite everything, I haven't put any pressure on myself."

Regardless of whether Kono can convert his two-shot lead into victory on Sunday, this week will be memorable for him, particularly due to the opportunity to play alongside Ishikawa in the final group.

"I think playing with Ryo will make me more nervous than being in the final group on the last day," Kono said.

"Since I'm on the tour, I wanted to play with him at least once as a memory. I can now say, 'I played with Ryo!'"

Ishikawa, contending for his 19th career victory, was pleased to maintain his composure heading into the crucial final day in the last group.

"In a field of over 150 players, only a handful can contend for the win. Being among them would be great," Ishikawa said.

"My long-standing goal is to be in the final group on the last day, playing my best golf. Leading on the final day is the ultimate challenge and reveals golf's true difficulty.

"It's a unique kind of pressure that becomes significant over time."

Surprisingly, even for a player of Ishikawa's calibre, competing in the leaders' flight on the final day can still be nerve-wracking.

"Yes, I do feel nervous," he admitted. "Facing the final day at the top changes the dynamics, and I want to enjoy golf in that context. The emotions that arise there are hard to put into words.

Leading third round scores:
197: Yuki Kono 64-69-64;
199: Ryo Ishikawa 66-64-69;
200: Taiko Nishiyama 69-64-67;
201: Suguru Shimoke 70-62-69, Kota Kaneko 63-68-70;
202: Hiroki Tanaka 66-66-70;
203: Ryo Katsumata 67-69-67, Tsubasa Ukita 66-68-69, Ryuko Tokimatsu 66-70-67; 
204: Daijiro Izumida 72-66-66, Yuta Sugiura 72-66-66, Mikiya Akutsu 67-70-67, Tomoyo Ikemura 71-65-68, Taisei Sato 67-69-68.