Hideki Matsuyama seizes Augusta Masters lead

Augusta: The storms that stopped play for a little more than hour at the Masters were expected. The masterpiece delivered by Hideki Matsuyama after the break was not.

Matsuyama played the final eight holes in 6-under par, turning a two-shot deficit into a four-shot lead on Saturday.

With four flawless swings and three putts late on the back nine at Augusta National, he went

from part of a logjam on the leaderboard to the cusp of becoming the first Japanese player to win a major.

The final touch was a superb par save from 25 yards behind the 18th green for a 7-under 65, the only bogey-free round this week at the Masters. “I wouldn’t have believed it,” Matsuyama said through his interpreter. “But I did play well today. And my game plan was carried out, and hopefully, tomorrow I can continue good form.”