Staff WriterLucas Herbert pulled a rabbit—and two eagles—out of his golf bag to seize a share of the 54-hole lead at the US$2 million International Series Japan.
In a late-round burst as dramatic as any cherry-blossom bloom in spring, Lucas Herbert erased a five-shot deficit with an eagle-two at the drivable 16th and a textbook eagle at the par-five 18th, muscling his way into a three-way tie at 13-under alongside Japan’s Yuta Sugiura and Korea’s Younghan Song.
A Finish Fit for the Highlight Reel
For most of Saturday, the 29-year-old Australian looked more likely to find sushi than birdies around Caledonian Golf Club.
A stray bogey at the third, followed by untidy miscues around the turn, left Herbert two-over for the round and muttering into the Pacific breeze. Then the fireworks arrived.
He launched a drive onto the fringe of the 329-yard 16th, nestling the ball 21 feet from the hole.
One confident roll later—eagle. After a solid par at 17, Herbert flushed a 7-iron from 188 yards to 10 feet on the closing par-five and canned the putt for a second eagle, signing for a two-under 69 that felt more like a Houdini escape.
“It was a frustrating day heading into the last three holes, but golf is a funny game like that.
You can turn around a very frustrating day and make it pretty productive.So, got the lead after all three rounds.
Hopefully, I will have the lead after all four rounds,” said Herbert, who tied the course record with a first-round 62.
Home Favourite Sugiura Keeps Pace
Sugiura, 24, carried the local flag with a composed 66, despite a scatter-shot bogey to book-end his round.
The former amateur phenom—he won the 2023 Dunlop Phoenix Open and last year’s Japan PGA Championship—briefly jumped clear with an eagle of his own at the 345-yard 16th, driving to six feet and calmly converting.
But a heavy-handed wedge from 78 yards at the last bounded over the green, leading to a closing bogey and a share of top spot.
“Today, I could make more putts than the last two days which led to a good score. It’s nice to finish on top of the leaderboard and play in the final round in a good position.
I want to try my best to win and also enjoy the nervousness of playing in contention,” said Sugiura.
Song’s Steady Serenade
Joining the two headline acts is Song, who carded a 68 punctuated by a birdie at 18 to complete the triumvirate.
The man who famously toppled then-world-No.1 Jordan Spieth at the 2016 SMBC Singapore Open relied on a hot putter early and grit late.
“My putting was great at the start and I was happy with that, but in the middle, my shots weren’t that great.
I thought I just had to hang in there and keep pushing until the end. So, I changed my mindset and played accordingly. Overall, I think today went well,” said Song.
Horsfield’s 63 Sets the Morning Pace
Before Herbert’s eagle assault, England’s Sam Horsfield had set tongues wagging with an eight-under 63, highlighted by nine birdies in his opening 16 holes.
A plugged lie in a greenside bunker at 17 produced his only blemish, and a missed 12-footer at 18 stalled him at 11-under—still good enough for outright fourth.
The Chasing Pack
Australia’s Travis Smyth and Guatemala’s José Toledo matched 68s to reach 10-under, lurking three back. With Caledonian’s lightning greens and fickle coastal breezes, three shots can vanish quicker than a tourist’s yen at a Tokyo arcade.
Herbert’s Sunday Blueprint
Despite Saturday’s late theatrics, Herbert knows Sunday will demand a full shift of precision—minus the drama, he hopes.
“I was just slightly off. It was a little tricky with the wind, which was gusting around everywhere. I didn’t think that was super easy.
Just wasn’t that far off, and probably just trying a little bit too hard. I thought today was a really good opportunity to try and stretch a lead out and get a long way away from the field.
“Once I kind of let go of that mentality, I was able to come back and refocus on what was in front of me.”
Asked for the magic number to claim his first international title since the 2023 ISPS Handa Championship—also on Japanese soil—the Ripper GC stalwart didn’t flinch:
“We shoot five-under tomorrow, I’d say it’s probably good enough.
“I haven’t played with Sugiura before, but I just played with Song, who is also leading going into tomorrow.
They are both 13-under and are obviously good players. So, we will just have to roll with the punches tomorrow. If they are making a lot of birdies, I am going to have to try to go with them.”
Bigger Stakes on the Line
The International Series Japan is the third of ten elevated stops on the Asian Tour, each offering a golden ticket toward the LIV Golf League.
A victory here isn’t merely a hefty bank deposit—it’s a possible springboard onto the most talked-about circuit in modern golf.
Final-Round Forecast
Expect the fireworks finale to continue as Caledonian’s closing stretch has already proven explosive, with three proven winners tied at the summit.
Whether Herbert can reprise his eagle swagger, Sugiura can deliver a hometown triumph, or Song can pen another upset, Sunday promises a finish as thrilling as any on the Asian Tour calendar.
One thing’s certain: the gallery in Chiba will need both neck grease and nail clippers to keep up with the closing act.
And if Lucas Herbert finds lightning in his driver once more, the champagne may flow as freely as his effortless smile.
