CHIBA, Japan – Tiger Woods held a three-stroke lead over local favorite Hideki Matsuyama after 11 holes of the fourth round of the Zozo Championship on Sunday.

Woods, who has led from the opening round of the PGA Tour's first tournament in Japan, carded three birdies against a lone bogey when the fourth round was suspended because of darkness.

Woods is making his first start in his 23rd season on the PGA Tour. If he can hold onto his lead through the remaining seven holes on Monday, he will reach 82 wins and tie the career record held by Sam Snead.

Matsuyama made things interesting when he finished with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 11 and 12. Before that he was five strokes back which would have put him in a difficult position on Monday.

Matsuyama started the fourth round at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club course three strokes back of Woods after completion of the third round earlier Sunday when Woods shot 4-under 66. In the fourth round, the Japanese star faltered with two bogeys on the front nine but made up for it with his two birdies on his final two holes.

Woods got off to a strong start to the fourth round with a birdie on the first hole.

His only trouble of the day came when his tee shot on the par-4 fourth went into the rough. His second shot was a routine chip shot from the side of the green which was short, barely reaching the green. He then two-putted for his only bogey of the fourth round.

Woods came right back with a birdie on the next hole and added another on the sixth.

Because torrential rain washed out play on Friday, the second round was moved to Saturday. To make up for the lost day, the players started the fourth round immediately after finishing the third to get in as many holes as possible.

Gary Woodland was tied in third place at 12 under with Sungjae Im, while Rory McIlroy, the highest-ranked player in the field, was fifth at 11 under with just two holes to play.

Woods last played in an official tournament in Japan in 2006 at the Dunlop Phoenix, where he lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington. He won the Dunlop Phoenix the two previous years.

Programming note: Golf Channel will air the conclusion of the final round of the Zozo Championship live at 6:30 p.m. ET.

CHIBA, Japan – Poor timing and a curious decision will keep Japanese fans from what could only be considered a best-case scenario at the Zozo Championship.

Because of Friday’s washout, officials were determined to play as much golf as they could Sunday, which for front-runner Tiger Woods was 29 holes. It also meant players wouldn’t be re-grouped following the third round.

Had the draw been redone, Woods would have been in the final group with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, who is alone in second place and three strokes behind Woods.

Matsuyama is Japan’s most popular player and Woods is the game’s biggest draw, but they will not get the chance to go head-to-head at Narashino Country Club.

“It's not realistic with the conditions that we were going to get a chance to re-pair,” Woods said. “If they would have pushed us yesterday and then did a re-pair for the fourth round, it would have been a different story, but they decided to push us today instead of yesterday. So, it was never going to be realistic where I could play with Hideki in that regard.”

The crowds for the final round won’t be as massive as they were Sunday. Officials decided to limit entrance to fans with full-week and VIP tickets only for Monday’s conclusion, which they estimate will be about 3,000 fans.

Programming note: Golf Channel will air the conclusion of the final round of the Zozo Championship live at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Hong Kong 82 for 5 (Kinchit 25, 1-5) beat Nigeria 81 for 8 (Onikoyi 18, Aizaz 2-15, Ghazanfar 2-11) by five wickets

Aizaz Khan, Mohammad Ghazanfar and Waqas Barkat took two wickets each to pin down Nigeria to 81 for 8 and lift Hong Kong to fourth on the Group B points table. Hong Kong knocked off the target in 7.1 overs with five wickets to spare. They have now three wins in six games and are still in contention for the playoffs.

After opting to bat, Nigeria had a fairly decent start, reaching 27 for 0 in five overs. However, seamer Aizaz struck twice in the next over and by the tenth over they were 43 for 4. Captain Ademola Onikoyi top-scored with 18, but soaked up 35 balls before he was dismissed in the 16th over. Nigeria managed only 20 runs in their last four overs to end with an under-par 81 for 8.

In pursuit of a slim target, Hong Kong raced past fifty in the fifth over and completed the formalities soon after. Opener Nizakat Khan and No.3 Kinchit Shah both made twenties at a strike rate of over 200 to lead the chase.

In all, Nigeria scored just six boundaries in their innings. Nizakat and Kinchit alone hit nine boundaries.

David Warner spent most of this year's England tour trying to ignore the verbal bile constantly directed his way. So there was not only relief but also revelation in the experience of a loud, supportive Adelaide Oval crowd on Sunday, as the exhortations of 16,268 spectators helped lift him to a first ever Twenty20 international century on his 33rd birthday.

There had been queries as to exactly how Warner could be received in his first home match since the Newlands ban. Unlike Steven Smith, his public reputation hadn't been bolstered by match-winning turns during the Ashes series. But from the moment he took to the middle, Warner was given plenty of adulation to feed off, and admitted that he had almost forgotten what it was like to get the support at home, his first appearance in more than 18 months.

"It's always fantastic to get that. You sort of sit back and watch highlights of other people's packages and stuff, you forget how much it actually drives you when you're out there," Warner said. "We love the people's support and we love the Australian crowds coming out and supporting us and we always try and put on a show for them.

"But I don't think they actually realise how much impact it has on us players while we are out there. I remember when I was supporting the [Sydney] Roosters in the Grand Final this year. When you've got that support behind the team or when you're supporting someone else, it's a massive boost, the confidence for us and for the other people out there playing."

"Emotions were great. Another year older. Another game for Australia and coming out here in front of an Adelaide crowd. There's no better place to play you know. You've always got a fantastic wicket, the curators are absolutely fantastic here. It's a batting paradise. I absolutely love it out here."

The most notable element of Warner's innings was the fact that in a T20I career dating back to 2009, he had never bettered the 89 he coshed against South Africa at the MCG on his storied international debut. More than a decade later, he was able to scamper a last ball single to go to three figures, a milestone that afforded him some light-hearted banter from Glenn Maxwell at the change of innings.

"You don't even actually realise until you get it. It wasn't even on my mind. You actually forget that you don't have one," Warner said. "Maxi reminded me and said 'welcome to the club' which is quite funny. It's just one of those things to contribute, come out and play you free-flowing game from the start. Obviously the couple of balls where a little bit here and there. You don't get to face too many deliveries back to back when someone's going off.

"For me it's about keeping a calm head and making sure that I bide my time a little bit and try and pick the gaps as much as I can and run hard. [Last over] bat on ball and I was thinking obscure field so for me you know what you're going to get. It's going to wide and pretty much, I don't lap or anything like that so whatever comes into my mind I try to get it out of my head.

"It was in my head but you've got to try and pick your gaps. I think in Australia with those fields, you only have to hit the gap hard and it can beat the fielder and then you can run two. You're always thinking at the start of the over about what do we need. Obviously we had plenty on the board so you're just trying to hit gaps."

It wasn't just Warner who enjoyed his place in the sun. Aaron Finch, Maxwell and Australia's bowlers all responded with a combination of skill and flair that completely confounded a modest Sri Lanka, suggesting that if the Australians stay focused, they can set-up more pageants of adulation in Brisbane and Melbourne this week.

"Very good from us. We all set out to come out and try be positive with the bat," Warner said. "I think the way forward is exactly that, where we try and set the tone at the top and then Maxi coming in and doing what he does. For once the plan actually came off. Obviously starting well and then Maxi coming in and doing what he does. And yeah, someone batting through. That was all in all a great batting performance and obviously the bowlers finished it off there."

Papua New Guinea 118 all out (Vanua 54, Bundi 4-18) beat Kenya 73 all out (Karim 29, Vala 3-7, Pokana 3-21) by 45 runs

Norman Vanua had one of his finest days in a PNG uniform, scoring a T20I career-best 54 off 48 balls, including a 77-run seventh-wicket stand with Sese Bau to lift PNG out of a perilous situation at 19 for 6 in four overs, before taking 2 for 19 to help skittle Kenya out for 73 in an eventual 45-run win at Dubai International Stadium.

The result eliminated Kenya from playoff contention and clinched a spot for Scotland in the knockout phase. PNG must wait for the result between Scotland and Netherlands to see who will top the group for the automatic World Cup berth in Australia but a Scotland win over Netherlands win be enough for PNG.

Kenya made three changes to their XI, bringing in Emmanuel Bundi for his first match of the tournament and the medium pacer almost single-handedly kept Kenya in the tournament with a four-for that began with a triple-wicket burst in the second over. Tony Ura drove to mid-off, Assad Vala was trapped in front with an inswinger and Charles Amini drove away from his body for an edge behind to make it 12 for 3. Lucas Oluoch struck twice in the third as Lega Siaka edged to slip before Riley Hekure fended another edge behind. Kiplin Doriga then chased a wide ball in the fourth to make it 19 for 6.

Vanua joined Bau as PNG's last two recognized batsmen and settled in thanks in part to some passive tactics from Kenya. Rather than bowling out Bundi immediately as he had done with Oluoch, captain Shem Ngoche held one over back for the 14th, by which time the ball stopped moving. Bundi bowled back of a length throughout, offering little challenge in his last six balls. Collins Obuya, who entered the match as Kenya's leading wicket-taker, bowled just one over in the first 16.

Instead, Ngoche persisted with part-time medium pace to little effect. Sachin Bhudia was pulled for four by Vanua in the 10th and when Ngoche brought himself on to bowl left-arm spin, Vanua drove him over long-on for six in the 13th. Pushpak Kerai's part-time legspin was preferred over Obuya in the 15th, and a half-tracker was smashed over midwicket for six again by Vanua. Bhudia was then pulled and cut for a pair of boundaries that took Vanua to his maiden T20I fifty off 45 balls in the 16th.

Obuya's second over of the match in the 17th finally accounted for both Vanua and Bau. Jasraj Kundi took a catch at deep midwicket to claim Bau before Vanua slogged to long-on two balls later making it 96 for 8. But PNG had been let off the hook and the tail added another 22 before being bowled out with three balls to spare.

Kenya's approach in the chase was no less confounding. Needing to chase in roughly 12 overs to give themselves the best chance of getting above Scotland in case of a Scotland loss to Netherlands in the afternoon, only Irfan Karim scored at better than a run a ball. Vanua struck in the first over of the reply, getting Dhiren Gondaria to fend an edge to Doriga. Karim struck his fourth boundary in the sixth but fell on the last ball of the Powerplay, pulling Damien Ravu to Amini at midwicket in the ring.

Kenya didn't score another boundary the rest of the match as their middle order showed zero intent. Vala capitalized on the timid approach trapping Rushab Patel prodding down the wrong line for a seven-ball duck, Obuya slogged to long-on and Bhudia hit the PNG captain to Siaka at deep midwicket making it 51 for 5 in the 12th. Ravu, Vanua and Nosaina Pokana then cleaned up the tail, cementing PNG's best ever record in the group stage of the T20 World Cup Qualifier.

Chris Jordan hopes that England's fringe players can give the selectors as many "headaches" as possible during their five-match T20I series against New Zealand.

With Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali among the bowling options rested from the series, there are opportunities for young seamers Saqib Mahmood, Pat Brown and Sam Curran, as well as legspinner Matt Parkinson, to prove their worth in international colours.

Anything that makes English cricket stronger makes the team stronger and it keeps everyone on top of their game," Jordan told PA. "The more guys that we can have pushing for selection, the more headaches we can give selectors.

"We've added a wealth of young talent to the squad which brings in some good energy. It's an opportunity for everyone. I'll have to continue to improve myself and stay on top of my game."

Jordan has underwhelmed in T20s this year, conceding more than nine runs per over in the Pakistan Super League, the Blast and the Caribbean Premier League, and insisted he is not getting ahead of himself.

"I might be considered a senior player with my experience," he said, "but I'm always looking to learn off any player whether they're old or young.

"I try to keep my standards as high as possible and try to give my all every day, whether it be in training or a game, so that won't change.

"It's nice [to be in the squad] but nothing that's taken for granted at all."

The upcoming series is the first step for England on the road towards the T20 World Cup in Australia next year, but Jordan said the tournament was far enough away that it was not in his thoughts.

"Obviously the World Cup is a nice, little carrot at the end of that few months but it will be one game at a time," he said.

"If you get too far ahead of yourself, you're not actually concentrating on what's in front of you on the day. You can't build those good habits and that momentum."

Jordan took 1 for 22 from his three overs in England's first warm-up game on Sunday, though found himself in an unfamiliar role. While Jordan is generally used as a death bowler, captain Eoin Morgan preferred Mahmood, Brown and Adil Rashid in the final four overs.

Aryna Sabalenka has secured her third title of the year with a straight-set win over Kiki Bertens in the WTA Elite Trophy final in Zhuhai.

The 21-year-old world number 14 from Belarus cruised to a 6-4 6-2 victory over the Dutch top seed to win the second-tier version of the season-ending WTA Finals.

All three of Sabalenka's titles in 2019 have been won in China.

She also won the Wuhan Open in September and Shenzhen Open in January.

The WTA Finals, for the top-ranked players, begin on Sunday in Shenzhen. Sabalenka will be competing in doubles there, where she and Elise Mertens are the top-seeded pairing.

CHIBA, Japan – Tiger Woods made the most of a marathon day at the Zozo Championship, playing 29 holes in 6 under par to move to within seven holes of tying Sam Snead for the all-time PGA Tour victories record of 82.

Some news and notes from Sunday in Japan:

• With just seven holes to play Monday, history is on Tiger’s side. He’s 24-for-24 when taking at least a three-stroke lead into the final round of a Tour event (which was his margin at the Zozo) and 43-of-45 with a 54-hole outright lead.

• Following off-season knee surgery, the prospect of playing 29 holes in a single day was always going to be challenging for Tiger, but he seemed to withstand the rigors of a difficult day. “It was a long day in the saddle,” Woods said. “I felt like I played well, left a few out there.”

• Tiger continued a curious trend Sunday when he played the par 5s in 1 under par, including a bogey at the 14^th hole during his third round. By comparison, he played the par 3s Sunday in 3 under par thanks to near flawless iron play.

• This week’s Zozo Championship is Tiger’s first start in a wraparound season fall event and if he goes on to victory it would be the first time he’s won his season debut since 2013 (Farmers Insurance Open).

• Tiger played his first three holes this week bogey-bogey-bogey. He played his next 62 holes in 21 under par.

• Following record crowds Sunday at Narashino Country Club officials elected for something more intimate for Monday’s conclusion. Only fans with all-week tickets or VIP ticket holders will be allowed on the course for the conclusion of the final round, which will cut the gallery from 20,000 on Sunday to about 3,000.

Programming note: Golf Channel will air the conclusion of the final round of the Zozo Championship live at 6:30 p.m. ET.