Nico Echavarria holds the final hole with a 2-over lead for the Zozo Championship

INZAI CITY, Japan — Nico Echavarria shot a 5-under 65 on Saturday and finished with an eagle on the 18th to move two shots ahead of Justin Thomas after the third round of the Zozo Championship.

Echavarria is aiming for his second win on the PGA Tour after winning last year in Puerto Rico. Thomas has won 15 times on the PGA Tour but is winless in the 2½ years since winning the 2022 PGA Championship.

Max Greyserman, seeking his first PGA Tour victory, carded a 64 and is three back. Three others are six behind and still in trouble: Kevin Yu (66), Rickie Fowler (67) and Nate Lashley (63).

“I mean, that’s how you want to finish the round,” said Echavarria, who hit a 5- to 2-foot wood putt on the 550-yard hole. “I shot well, hit a good second shot and finished with an eagle. I prefer that to a birdie obviously.”

Echavarria, 30, a Colombian who played at the University of Arkansas, survived the 12th with a difficult downhill chip on his third shot and then dropped a clutch putt.

It might save her cycle.

“I started to falter after a bogey on 9 and a fantastic save on 12,” he said. “But we finished the round well.”

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

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

“Obviously it’s difficult,” he said. “It’s hard to win any category, it doesn’t matter who you are.”

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

“For you and for everyone else,” said Thomas. “At the end of the day, it’s been a long time, but I’ve still won a good amount of golf tournaments. I know how to win. It’s just a matter of getting it out there and doing it, and that’s been the biggest difference. There’s a reason there’s only one a week.”

Fowler, who tied for second two years ago and is linked with Japan, has suggested he is in the running.

“There are many good signs, but in these past events I have not put everything together,” he said. “So I’m looking forward to getting out there, and hopefully we can get something good.”

The pre-tournament favorites are far from contention.

Defending champion Collin Morikawa shot a 70 and was 13 shots behind, as was Xander Schauffele after shooting a 68. Japanese favorite Hideki Matsuyama shot a 66 — his best round of the tournament — but finished 15 off the lead.