Nico Echavarria Soars with Eagle on Final Hole for Two-Shot Lead at ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP 2024
Nico Echavarria shot a 5-under par 65 on Saturday at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, showcasing his extraordinary golfing abilities.
He secured a two-shot lead over Justin Thomas with a spectacular tap-in eagle on the 18th hole to close off the third round.
At the Narashino Country Club, a par-70 course about 50 kilometers from central Tokyo, Echavarria has established himself as a strong contender in his quest for his second PGA TOUR victory after winning his first in Puerto Rico last year. His overall score is 17-under 193, and he wants to keep up his momentum heading into the last round.
Echavarria made a number of outstanding shots during his round, but his approach to the last hole, where he struck a 5-wood to within 2 feet of the pin and set up an easy eagle putt, stood out. “I hit an excellent second shot, had a solid tee shot, and finished with an eagle. Considering his impressive finish, he remarked, “Obviously, I prefer that to a birdie.”
When he faced difficulties on the back nine, he demonstrated his tenacity by making a critical par save on the 12th hole following a challenging downhill chip from thick rough. Echavarria acknowledged, “I started getting shaky on the back nine with a bogey on 9 and an amazing save on 12.” “But we did the best we could to end the round.”
After winning the 2022 PGA Championship, Justin Thomas, a seasoned golfer with 15 TOUR championships, is looking for his first victory in much than two years. “It’s obviously tough,” Thomas said, acknowledging the difficulties of getting back to his previous level of performance. No matter who you are, it’s difficult to win at any stage. He enters the last round as a formidable contender thanks to his background and prior accomplishments.
Max Greyserman, who is three strokes behind and aiming for his first PGA TOUR victory, made an impression with a 64. Kevin Yu (66), Rickie Fowler (67), and Nate Lashley (63), who are all within striking distance of the lead, are other candidates.
After finishing as the tournament’s runner-up in 2022, Fowler was upbeat about his prospects. “I just haven’t really put it all together over the past few events, but there have been a lot of positive signs,” he said.
The pre-tournament favorites, like as Xander Schauffele and defending champion Collin Morikawa, are already far behind. Schauffele shot 68 and Morikawa shot 70, which put them 13 and 14 strokes behind the leader, respectively. Local favorite and Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama fired 66, his best round of the competition, but he is still 15 strokes behind.
All eyes will be on Echavarria as the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP enters its final round, where he will try to defeat a strong field of opponents and win his second PGA TOUR championship.
