Toru Taniguchi ran in a nine-foot birdie putt on his final hole to take a one-stroke lead after a 6-under-par 65 in the third round of the JCB Classic Sendai on Saturday.
The 2002 money-rankings winner enjoyed a solid day on the putting greens as he picked up shots on the seventh and eighth holes at the par-71 Omotezao Kokusai Golf Club, before getting into trouble in a bunker on the ninth for his only bogey of the day.
The 36-year-old quickly recovered with a pair of 24-foot birdie putts on the 11th and 12th and added two more birdies to lead Hisayuki Sasaki by one-shot on 11-under 202.
Mogi tied at top
HAMAMATSU, Shizuoka Pref. (Kyodo) Hiromi Mogi moved into a share of the second-round lead after equaling the day's low of 5-under-par 67 at the Resort Trust Ladies on Saturday.
Mogi joined overnight leader Yuka Sakaguchi at the top of the leaderboard on 6-under total of 138.