Hideki Matsuyama will enter the final round of the Memorial two strokes off the pace in third place after shooting a 3-under-par 69 in Saturday's third round.
The 22-year-old, whose best finish on the U.S. PGA tour was a third place in his season debut last October, carded six birdies and three bogeys at the Muirfield Village Golf Club to sit two strokes back of American Bubba Watson.
"I hit my tee shots and irons well, and that gave me (birdie) chances," said Matsuyama, who finished 10th last weekend. "I wasted some of those when putts didn't fall, but I'm playing better than last week.
"If I can make my short putts, I have a chance (to win it)."
Watson, a two-time Masters champion who also shot a 69 on Saturday, leads with a three-day total of 12-under-par 204. Scott Langley of the United States was in second, a stroke back, after a third-round 67. Trailing Matsuyama by a stroke in fourth place was world No. 1 Adam Scott of Australia.