J.J. Spaun has established a one-shot lead after the third round of the Fedex St Jude Championship.
The American shot a 62 on Thursday to put him at the top of the leaderboard, and a 68 on Saturday has ensured that he will begin the final 18 holes with a narrow advantage.
Spaun failed to birdie any of his opening 10 holes, but he responded at the 11th, 16th and 17 to move ahead of nearest rival Sepp Straka.
The Austrian had been alongside Spaun with a two-shot lead heading into the final hole, but a missed par putt from just under 10 feet saw him fall back to second spot on his own.
Back-to-back birdies coming in 🐦@JJSpaun holds a 54-hole lead for the third time in his career (1 for 2) @FedExChamp. pic.twitter.com/WtoZjMDzLU
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 13, 2022
Open champion Cameron Smith and US Open runner-up Will Zalatoris are two of three players who are two shots adrift on 11-under-par, the other being Trey Mullinax.
While Smith had to make do with a round of 67, Zalatoris out-performed the Australian with a 65 which included six birdies.
Tyler Duncan and Troy Merritt are a shot further back, while there are as many as nine players who are in a tie for eighth position and four shots behind Spaun.
That group includes Sungjae Im, who was among the early starters and produced a 63, US Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick and in-form Tony Finau.
Collin Morikawa is in a share of 17th spot, while former world number one Jon Rahm is further down the leaderboard in 25th place.
Darren Plant
