Nakajima and Semikawa set stage for final showdown with Ishikawa and Kanaya lurking

Newly crowned JGTO Prize Money King Keita Nakajima carded a two-under-par 68 on Saturday to retain a share of the lead heading into the final round of the season-ending Golf Nippon Series JT Cup.

After leading the first two days, Nakajima faced the potential setback of trailing Taiga Semikawa by two shots at the end of the day.

However, Semikawa conceded a double bogey at the last hole to settle for 66, setting the stage for an exhilarating final-day race at the Tokyo Yomiuri Country Club on Sunday.

The 23-year-old Nakajima had three birdies and one bogey to join Semikawa at 13-under 197, standing two shots ahead of Ryo Ishikawa and Takumi Kanaya, who are currently tied for second place.

Ishikawa charged into contention after firing a superb 62, featuring an eagle, seven birdies, and a bogey, significantly brightening his chances of securing a third victory to add to his triumphs in 2015 and 2019.

Kanaya, meanwhile, maintained his composure, blending four birdies with two bogeys to card a solid 68.

A relieved Nakajima believes that maintaining composure throughout the day, despite facing pressure from Semikawa, was the key to staying atop the leaderboard.

"Taiga had a strong start, but I remained focused on my own game. Maintaining my own rhythm throughout allowed me to finish the round under par, which I'm quite happy about," said Nakajima, whose one of his three birdies came on the crucial 17th.

"Making the most of the par-five 17th hole will be crucial tomorrow. Scoring a birdie there is vital."

Nakajima is bidding for a fourth win of the season, and if he succeeds, it could make him only the fifth player in JGTO history to crack the ¥200,000,000 barrier.

"With a large number of spectators expected, the atmosphere will be fantastic, and that excites me. My plan is to concentrate on playing well, and hopefully, that will lead me to finish at the top."

Semikawa was on his way to establishing a two-shot cushion after soaring with two eagles on the first and 17th holes, complemented by three birdies.

However, just when it mattered most, he squandered the advantage and paid a hefty price for being too hasty.

"It was a strong round, except for the 18th hole. My target for today was five-under par, and I'm quite pleased with almost achieving that. I got to 6 under par after the eagle on 17, so I'm frustrated with how I played 18. I attacked the pin too aggressively and it put me in a tough spot, leaving me with a challenging downhill putt. That was a bit careless on my part," lamented Semikawa.

"Tomorrow, I'll be competing alongside top players like Ishikawa and Nakajima. It's my first time being paired with them, which really excites me.

"My strategy is to stay true to my game and stick to my targets. If they end up winning, it just means they played better. With a large gallery expected tomorrow, I hope to put on a strong performance and demonstrate some great golf."

Ishikawa, who is seeking his first victory of the season and the 19th of his career, expressed satisfaction at positioning himself to compete for the title.

"I didn't anticipate being in contention for tomorrow at the beginning of today's round, so I'm pleased with my current position. Today's round was almost perfect. I've been working a lot on my short game this season, and it really paid off today," said Ishikawa.

"I'm optimistic about carrying this momentum into tomorrow, aiming to stay in contention until the very end. The key for me will be to keep my long game consistent and manage my mental state effectively.

Ishikawa added that he's thrilled to duel with the best trio of the season - Nakajima, Kanaya, and Semikawa - on the final day.

"It's the first time this season that I'll be fully involved in competing on the final day against the likes of Takumi, Taiga, and Keita, so I'm really looking forward to it," said Ishikawa.

Leading third round scores:

197: Keita Nakajima 63-66-68, Taiga Semikawa 67-64-66;

199: Ryo Ishikawa 68-69-62, Takumi Kanaya 64-67-68;

200: Song Young-han (Kor) 66-69-65;

202: Hideto Tanihara 68-66-68, Taichi Nabetani 65-70-67;

204: Takashi Ogiso 70-68-66;

205: Yuki Inamori 70-67-68;

207: Shugo Imahira 68-70-69, Kensei Hirata 68-68-71.