Kim Si-woo, 31, who has shown strong momentum early in the 2026 season, seized an excellent opportunity to win at his fourth tournament.
Kim shot 5-under-par 66 with one eagle, four birdies, and one bogey in the third round of the PGA Tour WM Phoenix Open (total purse $9.6 million) at TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course (par 71) in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Friday.
With a three-round total of 12-under-par 201, Kim moved into a tie for second place, one stroke behind sole leader Hideki Matsuyama of Japan at 13-under-par.
If Kim wins this tournament, it would be his fifth PGA Tour victory, his first in three years and one month since the Sony Open in January 2023.
Kim is now competing for victory in three consecutive tournaments, following a tied sixth-place finish at the American Express and a runner-up finish at the Farmers Insurance Open.
He also performed well at the Sony Open in January, the season opener, finishing tied for 11th.
Kim started strong on Friday, making birdie on the first hole (par 4).
He briefly moved into a share of the lead after sinking an eagle putt from just over one meter on the third hole (par 5).
After cutting one more stroke and finishing the front nine, Kim stumbled briefly with a bogey on the 12th hole (par 3).
However, he finished smoothly with birdies on the 15th (par 5) and 17th holes (par 4).
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler of the United States is tied for 16th at 8-under-par, while Kim Sung-hyun is tied for 37th at 4-under-par.
Lee Seung-taek, who was tied for 73rd after completing through the 16th hole (par 3) of the suspended second round on Thursday, made birdie on the 17th hole (par 4) when play resumed Friday to finish at 1-under-par and make the cut in a tie for 63rd. This marks his first advancement to the third round since his PGA Tour debut.