Japan's Hideki Matsuyama delivered an exceptional round of 64 to secure a five-stroke lead heading into Sunday's final round of the PGA St Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis.

Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, stands at 17-under for the tournament. Trailing him are 20-year-old American Nick Dunlap, who is five shots behind, and Norway's Viktor Hovland, sitting at 11-under.

The St Jude Championship marks the first of the three FedEx Cup playoff tournaments. Current Cup leader Scottie Scheffler, who carded a 69, is tied for fourth place alongside fellow American Sam Burns, both seven strokes off Matsuyama's lead.

Matsuyama’s round began dramatically with a birdie on the par-4 first, followed by a bogey on the par-4 second. He then found his rhythm with an eagle on the par-5 third, setting the stage for a round highlighted by four additional birdies.

Reflecting on his performance, Matsuyama credited his new putter for his success. "I put a new putter in the bag, and it has been behaving very well. I've had the putter for a while, and I thought it might be a good week to debut it. But I might change putters tonight even," he joked.

Matsuyama, aiming for his 10th PGA Tour victory and second this season after winning the Genesis Invitational in February, remains cautious of the competition, particularly Scheffler.

Scheffler, the reigning Masters champion and fresh off an Olympic gold medal in Paris, remains confident in his chances. "I'll do what I can to put some pressure on Hideki, but if he shoots another 5- or 6-under tomorrow, he'll be tough to catch. But I'm definitely not out of the tournament," he stated.

Hovland, who is looking to defend his FedEx Cup title, praised Matsuyama’s performance under challenging conditions. "It was super impressive. The course was tough today, with wind and firming fairways. Hideki's making it work, and if my putter had been as hot as it was yesterday, my score might have been similar," Hovland remarked.

Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy endured a difficult day, shooting a four-over 74 after double bogeys on the 12th and 13th holes. McIlroy is now five-over for the tournament, while former major champion Jordan Spieth is near the bottom of the leaderboard after a 74 left him at seven-over.

The 70-player field will be cut to 50 for next week's BMW Championship in Castle Rock, Colorado, before being narrowed to 30 for the Tour Championship in Atlanta, which begins on August 29.