Scottsdale, AL. — Ryo Hisatsune turns a water ball into a birdie at the Phoenix Open, thrilling an excited crowd.

Scottie Scheffler did what he needed to do to move up in the standings by turning in the round expected of the world’s No. 1 player.

Hisatsune hit the ball into the water on the par-4 17th hole on Friday in the second round of the Phoenix Open, then made a birdie and shot a bogey-free 8-under 63 to move into the lead.

“I was very lucky,” Hisatsune said through an interpreter. “It was a good tee shot, but it went into the water a little bit. If I can reset it a little bit and make it, it’ll be a lot more fun.”

Scheffler enjoyed the round a little more than he did when he opened with a 73 that put him in danger of missing the cut for the first time since the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Classic.

After working on his grip, Scheffler shot a 2-under 33 on the front nine to near the cut line, and made four birdies on the back to extend his streak to 66 cuts, the longest active streak on the PGA Tour. He made a 3-foot birdie on the 18th and shot a bogey-free 65, putting him at 4 under with a seven-stroke lead.

And don’t think a seven-stroke difference is insurmountable.

Scheffler has won twice by one stroke, including the 2022 Phoenix Open, where he overcame a nine-stroke deficit to win his first PGA Tour victory.

“Yesterday I had some moments where I was a little confused, but today I felt much better and felt more in control of my game,” he said. “You can clearly see that in today’s cleaner card.”

Two-time Phoenix Open champion Brooks Koepka had an even tougher fight, finishing 2-over and failing to qualify for his second tournament since returning to the PGA Tour. He shot an opening 75 followed by a 69.

On another warm day, two Japanese players were the loudest on TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course.

Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time Phoenix Open champion, made six consecutive birdies in the morning waves to score a 64 and take the lead at 10 under par.

In the afternoon he was overtaken by his compatriots.

Hisatsune had two birdies on the front nine to get to 5 under, then improved to 6 under for five consecutive holes to reach 11 under for 131 (highlighted by a chip-in on the 17th), surprising the raucous crowd.

The night’s leader, Chris Gotterup, shot a 71 to tie Pierceson Coody (68) at 8 under.

Hisatsune tied for second at Torrey Pines last week after missing out on the season-opening Sony Open. He had four top 10s as a PGA Tour rookie last year.

The 23-year-old started his late run with birdies on the 13th and 14th, then sank an 8-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th. Hisatsune sent a roar through the stadium when he sunk a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th hole, and on the 17th hole, he hit his tee shot to the left into the water and chipped in, smiling shyly.

He will now be paired with Matsuyama in the third round on Saturday.

“I have a dream about my pairings,” Hisatsune said.

Matsuyama started with a bogey-free 68 and started the second round with three consecutive pars.

Then he started hitting nearby.

Matsuyama made a birdie on the par-5 13th hole while hitting a left drive into the desert, and on the 498-yard par-4 14th he pulled his approach to 3 feet for a birdie. He added another 3 feet and made a 29-foot birdie putt on the 16th, electrifying the already excited crowd.

Matsuyama made a two-putt birdie on the reachable par-4 17th, then made a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th on the back nine to finish at 6-under 30. He pulled within 10 feet on Nos. 4 and 5 for two more birdies, but on the par-4 ninth he hit his tee shot into the thick rough to the left and made bogey.

“It’s a wonderful golf course,” Matsuyama said through an interpreter. “You have to play well here, and to play well you have to hit the ball well. The crowd prepared me for that.”

Matsuyama will form an easy combination with Hisatsune in the third round.

Things might change if Scheffler runs again.