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Max Greyserman, looking for his first PGA Tour win, carded a 64 and is three back. Three more are six behind and still in the mix: Kevin Yu (66), Rickie Fowler (67) and Nate Lashley (63).

“I mean, that’s the way you want to finish a round,� said Echavarria, who hit a 5-wood to 2 feet for the tap-in on the 550-yard hole. “I had a good tee shot, hit a really good second shot and finished with an eagle. I prefer that than a birdie obviously.�

The 30-year-old Echavarria, a Colombian who played at the University of Arkansas, saved par on the 12th with a difficult downhill chip from thick rough on his third shot, and then dropped a clutch putt.

It might have saved his round.

"I started getting shaky on the back nine with a bogey on 9 and an incredible save on 12," he said. “But we finished the round as well as we could.�

Echavarria is 17-under 193 at the par-70 Narashino Country Club, located about 50 miles outside central Tokyo.

Ben Silverman, of Thornhill, Ont., shot 68 Saturday and is the top Canadian, tied for 29th at 5 under.

Nick Taylor, of Abbotsford, B.C., is a stroke bacl after a round of 1-over 71. Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is tied for 65that 1 over after a solid thrid rounf of 67.

Thomas won his first major in 2017 — again the PGA Championship — and rose to No. 1 in the world golf rankings in 2018. Now he's trying to recapture the feeling.

“It’s obviously tough,� he said. “It’s hard to win at any stage, doesn’t matter who you are.�

He said early success might have made it look easier than it is.

“To yourself and everybody else,� he added.

“At the end of the day it has been a while, but I’ve still won a pretty good amount of golf tournaments. I know how to win. It’s just a matter of executing and doing it and that’s really been the biggest difference. There’s a reason there’s only one every week.�

Fowler, who tied for the runner-up two years ago and has connections to Japan, suggested he was close to making a run.

“There’s been a lot of good signs, but over the past few events I just haven’t really put it all together," he said. "So I’m looking forward to getting out there and hopefully we can get a good one going.�

The pre-tournament favorites are far out of contention.

Defending champion Collin Morikawa shot 70 and was 13 shots behind, as is Xander Schauffele after a 68.

Japanese favorite Hideki Matsuyama shot 66 — his best round of the tournament — but is 15 shots off the lead.

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AP golf: