Hideki Matsuyama sets personal best with 11 birdies for a 62 and leads Morikawa by 1 at Kapalua

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Collin Morikawa had to judge how his ball would come out of the first cut of rough on the 16th hole at Kapalua, and it was close to perfect, settling 20 inches away for a sure birdie in his terrific duel with Hideki Matsuyama.

Matsuyama was some 20 yards closer. He sent his lob wedge over the pin and used a combination of spin and slope for the shot to roll past Morikawa's ball and stop 8 inches away.

It was like that all day Saturday at The Sentry.

Matsuyama had a personal best with 11 birdies in his bogey-free round of 62, setting the Plantation course record for 54 holes at 27-under 192.

All that got him was a one-shot lead over Morikawa, who matched his 62 and just about everything else Matsuyama did on another day of virtually no wind and ridiculously low scoring in the PGA Tour opener.

“Collin played well and I just kind of followed him, so good day,” said Matsuyama, a Japanese star of few words and plenty of birdies.

Morikawa played so well at the start that it wasn't until the sixth hole when he hit a shot he didn't like, a wedge to 25 feet and a birdie chance that rimmed around the cup. In 54 holes, he has only missed two greens.

“Today was really, really good. Couple shots out there a little squirrely, but for the most part the irons were center face, knew where they were going,” Morikawa said.

He briefly took the lead on the front nine by starting 5 under in five holes, including a 25-foot eagle putt on the fifth hole during a display of sublime shotmaking. Matsuyama caught him on the next hole and they were tight the rest of the way.

The low scoring was reminiscent of 2022, when Cameron Smith set the tournament record — and PGA Tour record to par — at 34-under 258. The conditions were abnormally calm that year, and this year hasn't been much different.

There was barely any wind on the western edge of Maui, and the Plantation course was built for fierce wind out of any direction. This became target practice for the world's best players, particularly on a course with the widest fairways on the PGA Tour.

Three years ago, Smith and Jon Rahm were tied for the lead five shots clear of everyone else. Matsuyama was one ahead of Morikawa. Thomas Detry was next at 22-under 197, one ahead of Sungjae Im, who also had a 62.

The average score was 67.49, another record since this tournament moved to Kapalua in 1999.

Detry had a 65 and wound up losing ground.

“I shot 8 under today, but didn’t really feel like I shot 8 under,” he said. “Other courses when you shoot 8 under you really fell like, ‘Oh, yeah, I played unreal golf here.’ I just felt like I played some really steady golf.”

Matsuyama and Morikawa kept piling up birdies and pulling away. What separated them was the reachable par-4 14th, where Matsuyama chipped to 3 feet for birdie and Morikawa drove into a bunker, blasted out to 10 feet and missed the birdie putt.

Such a high level of golf brought importance to every shot, and they were up to the task. Morikawa talked about being in the zone, and with another player at his side in the same place, it created quite the stripe show.

“It was a lot of fun,” Matsuyama said, “but I would like for him to take it easy tomorrow.”

Morikawa has worked on his swing during the offseason, and the bigger work might have been on his attitude. He wants to pour everything into every shot, every day, every tournament and see where it leads.

That makes Sunday a big test.

“You look back at the greats, they did that,” Morikawa said. “You look back at Tiger, he did that every single week. I think if I asked myself, ‘Did I do that the past six years, every time?’ Probably not, you know. But it’s hard. It’s hard to do that, but that’s what I’m going into this year is saying, ‘You know, I’ve got four days, let’s see what I can do.’”

Morikawa has had his chances at Kapalua. He had a six-shot lead two years ago until closing with a 72 and finishing behind Rahm, who had a 63.

He played in the final group three times at big events last year — one behind Scottie Scheffler at the Masters, tied with Xander Schauffele at the PGA Championship and four shots behind Scheffler at the Memorial.

Now he's trying to track down Matsuyama, who is going for his third win in the last 10 months. That goes back to his focus, and it reminded him of when he first turned pro in 2019.

“I had seven opportunities for sponsor exemptions, didn’t know if I was going to get my card or not, and you’re going to put everything out there because you have that goal,” Morikawa said. “Well, I’m going to put everything out there tomorrow because I have the goal to win.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Sungjae Im hits onto the eighth green during the third round of The Sentry golf event, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Thomas Detry, of Belgium, hits from the 11th tee during the third round of The Sentry golf event, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan, walks to his ball on the 12th hole during the third round of The Sentry golf event, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Thomas Detry, of Belgium, reacts after missing a putt on the 17th green during the third round of The Sentry golf event, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Collin Morikawa tosses his ball on the 17th green during the third round of The Sentry golf event, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Collin Morikawa hits from the 13th fairway during the third round of The Sentry golf event, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan, chips onto the 14th green during the third round of The Sentry golf event, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan, reacts after missing a putt on the 13th green during the third round of The Sentry golf event, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Matt York)

WASHINGTON (AP) — It's the largest prosecution in Justice Department history — with reams of evidence, harrowing videos and hundreds of convictions of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Now Donald Trump's return to power has thrown into question the future of the more than 1,500 federal cases brought over the last four years.

Jan. 6 trials, guilty pleas and sentencings have continued chugging along in Washington's federal court despite Trump's promise to pardon rioters, whom he has called “political prisoners" and “hostages” he contends were treated too harshly.

Here's a look at where the prosecutions stand on the fourth anniversary of the Capitol riot and what could happen next:

More than 1,500 people across the U.S. have been charged with federal crimes related to the deadly riot. Hundreds of people who did not engage in destruction or violence were charged only with misdemeanor offenses for entering the Capitol illegally. Others were charged with felony offenses, including assault for beating police officers. Leaders of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys extremist groups were convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as plots to use violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power from Trump, a Republican, to Joe Biden, a Democrat.

About 250 people have been convicted of crimes by a judge or a jury after a trial. Only two people were acquitted of all charges by judges after bench trials. No jury has fully acquitted a Capitol riot defendant. At least 1,020 others had pleaded guilty as of Jan. 1.

More than 1,000 rioters have already been sentenced, with over 700 receiving at least some time behind bars. The rest were given some combination of probation, community service, home detention or fines.

The longest sentence, 22 years, went to former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy along with three lieutenants. A California man with a history of political violence got 20 years in prison for repeatedly attacking police with flagpoles and other makeshift weapons during the riot. And Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes is serving an 18-year prison sentence for seditious conspiracy and other offenses.

More than 100 Jan. 6 defendants are scheduled to stand trial in 2025, while at least 168 riot defendants are set to be sentenced this year.

Authorities have continued making new arrests since Trump's election victory. That includes people accused of assaulting police officers who were defending the Capitol.

Citing Trump's promise of pardons, several defendants have sought to have their cases delayed — with little success.

In denying one such request, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, who was nominated to the bench by President Ronald Reagan, a Republican, wrote: "This Court recently had the occasion to discuss what effect the speculative possibility of a presidential pardon has on the timetable for a pending criminal matter. In short: little to none."

One defendant who convinced a judge to postpone his trial, William Pope, told the court that the “American people gave President Trump a mandate to carry out the agenda he campaigned on, which includes ending the January 6 prosecutions and pardoning those who exercised First Amendment rights at the Capitol.” Pope has now asked the judge to allow him to travel to Washington to attend Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.

Trump embraced the Jan. 6 rioters on the campaign trial, downplaying the violence that was broadcast on live TV and has been documented extensively through video, testimony and other evidence in the federal cases.

Trump has vowed to begin issuing pardons of Jan. 6 rioters on his first day in office. He has said he will look at individuals on a case-by-case basis, but he has not explained how he will decide who receives such relief.

He has said there may be “some exceptions" — if “somebody was radical, crazy." But he has not ruled out pardons for people convicted of serious crimes, like assaulting police officers. When confronted in a recent NBC News interview about the dozens of people who have pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement, Trump responded: “Because they had no choice."

Many judges in Washington's federal court have condemned the depiction of the rioters as “political prisoners," and some have raised alarm about the potential pardons.

"No matter what ultimately becomes of the Capital Riots cases already concluded and still pending, the true story of what happened on January 6, 2021 will never change," Judge Lamberth recently said in a statement when handing down a sentence.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, has said it would be “beyond frustrating and disappointing” if Trump hands out mass pardons to rioters.

In another case, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta alluded to the prospect of a pardon for Rhodes, the Oath Keepers founder convicted of seditious conspiracy.

“The notion that Stewart Rhodes could be absolved of his actions is frightening and ought to be frightening to anyone who cares about democracy in this country,” said Mehta, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, a Democrat.

Follow the AP's coverage of the Jan. 6 insurrection at https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege.

FILE - Violent protesters loyal to President Donald Trump, including Kevin Seefried, center, holding a Confederate battle flag, are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

FILE - Supporters of President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

FILE - A flag hangs between broken windows after then-President Donald Trump supporters tried to break through police barriers outside the U.S. Capitol, Jan 6, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

FILE - Insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump try to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)