Golf: Xander Schauffele Aims for Victory in Japan

Schauffele and Greyserman tied for lead at Baycurrent Classic

Xander Schauffele and Max Greyserman tied for the lead at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan.

“It takes a while to grow and then it goes away quickly...”

Xander Schauffele is one step away from his first win of the season, sharing the lead with Max Greyserman at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan. After a stellar third round, Schauffele carded a four-under-par 67, bringing his total to 12-under-par.

Schauffele's impressive performance at the rain-soaked Yokohama Country Club has put him in a strong position heading into the final day. He hit six birdies and two bogeys to close the gap on Greyserman, who led by four shots earlier in the day.

Max Greyserman, still in contention for his first PGA Tour title, finished with an even-par 71, maintaining a tied lead with Schauffele. The pair sits three shots ahead of their nearest competitors, including defending champion Nico Echavarria.

Xander Schauffele's impressive 2024 season saw him win the British Open and PGA Championship, but 2025 has been a different story. Despite his best efforts, he's yet to secure a win this year, with only three top 10 finishes.

Schauffele, who's still adjusting to the aftermath of a rib injury that sidelined him for seven months, acknowledges that confidence is a fragile thing. “It takes a while to grow and then it goes away quickly,” he said, highlighting the challenges he's facing in regaining his top form.

“It takes a while to grow and then it goes away quickly,” he said.

“I'm just trying to put one walk after the other and slowly grow that confidence. So far we've been doing that.”

Xander Schauffele closed the gap on fellow American Max Greyserman, who held a four-shot lead earlier in the day. Schauffele's strong performance brought him level with Greyserman at 12-under-par.

The players faced a new challenge due to constant rain on Saturday, a stark contrast to the strong wind on the opening day and mild conditions during the second round. This changing weather added complexity to the already demanding course.

“The weather has been tricky, so I'm proud of the fight to stay in it today,” said Schauffele.

“Round one felt like survival, round two felt like the course was pretty gettable and today felt like a bit of survival with pockets of a little bit less rain.”

Tied with Max Greyserman at the Baycurrent Classic, World No. 4 Xander Schauffele holds 10th career 54-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR.

The nine-time PGA TOUR winner is 3-for-9 to date converting to victory: pic.twitter.com/wW7ksPItvH

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) October 11, 2025

Max Greyserman had a rollercoaster of emotions on Saturday, his lead slipping away after a double bogey on the seventh hole. He managed to regroup, finishing with an even-par 71 and ultimately sharing the top spot with Xander Schauffele.

The 30-year-old American had a déjà vu moment, reminiscent of last year's tournament in Japan where he finished runner-up to Colombia's Nico Echavarria. Despite the disappointment, Greyserman is determined to learn from the experience and use it as fuel to drive his quest for his first PGA Tour title.

No bunker trouble here 👏

Xander Schauffele co-leads at the turn @Baycurrent_Clsc.

📺 Golf Channel pic.twitter.com/ns4mcSnTFX

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 11, 2025

“Obviously, I think me and Xander are tied, so I'd have liked to push my lead further, play better today and all that stuff, but you're not going to play great for 72 straight holes,” Greyserman said with a hint of frustration. He acknowledged the challenging conditions but expressed his pride in fighting back to stay atop the leaderboard.

“I played a good round last year on Sunday and I got beat, I don't think I gave up the tournament by any means,” he said.

“I thought I handled everything well and competed well and executed well, so that's the plan for tomorrow.”

Defending champion Nico Echavarria trailed the leaders by three shots, alongside An Byeong-hun, Kim Si-woo, Garrick Higgo, and Michael Thorbjornsen.

Xander Schauffele's Ryder Cup teammate Collin Morikawa struggled, sitting 10 shots behind the leaders at two-under-par. Japan's Hideki Matsuyama carded a late double bogey, leaving him at four-under-par.