Jimmy Stanger, Norman Xiong and Andy Zhang tied for the lead at Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament

CHANDLER, Ariz. – With 54 holes in the books at Whirlwind Golf Club, Jimmy Stanger, Norman Xiong and Andy Zhang are tied atop the leaderboard at 23-under 193 entering Sunday’s final round at the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament. The trio will compete in the final pairing on the Cattail course with the medalist earning fully exempt status on the Web.com Tour in 2019.

Despite a clean scorecard with six birdies and no bogeys through 17 holes, Zhang didn’t feel his putter was as hot on Saturday as it was the first two days. On the final hole it didn’t matter. Zhang ignited the crowd by holing out from 120 yards for a closing eagle and a share of the lead.

“It looked really good [while it was in the air],” said Zhang, who claimed the individual title at the SEC Championships in April. “It was right over the pin and landed exactly where I was trying to land it – a couple of yards behind the hole so I could try to spin it back. For that thing to break perfectly back into the hole…it was an amazing feeling.”

Stanger entered the week looking to put last year’s heartbreak behind him. In 2017, Stanger opened with an 8-over 80 before going 21-under over the next three rounds, only to fall one stroke shy of guaranteed starts when a birdie putt slid by at the 72nd hole.

“The goal this year was to come out and do what I did on my last three rounds last year,” said Stanger. “I continued to work on that and ignore the first-round 80 I had last year. I’ve been trying to keep my mindset out there on every single shot and not get ahead of myself.”

Despite missing guaranteed starts in 2017, Stanger competed in 19 Web.com Tour events this season, earning two top-10s and 10 made cuts. The 23-year-old has gone incredibly low in six rounds since his first-round 80 last year, including 36-under in four rounds on the Devil’s Claw course.

“It’s a golf course that suits my eye really well,” said Stanger on the Devil’s Claw. “In four rounds out there between last year’s Q-School and this year’s Q-School I’ve gone 36-under, so something works. I’ve made some putts and I’ve hit some good drives and I’m having fun.”

Xiong, a 20-year-old former University of Oregon standout, used a late eagle at the 15th and birdie at the 17th to shoot a 7-under 65 and maintain a share of the lead entering the final round. The 36-hole leader is the reigning Fred Haskins Award winner and Jack Nicklaus Award winner as the most outstanding male collegiate player in 2018. Xiong made his first cut on the PGA TOUR in October at the Sanderson Farms Championship before finishing T26.

“I’m excited [to compete in the final pairing] and will just try my best to play as free as I can and stay in the moment,” said Xiong.

Timothy Madigan, who spent this year on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada after three years on the Web.com Tour, holds the solo fourth spot at 22-under 194 after a bogey-free 9-under 63.

Sunday’s final-round tee times will begin at 9 a.m. MT and run through 11:01 a.m. MT. The top half of the field (after 36 holes) will play the Cattail course, with the other half finishing on the Devil’s Claw course. In addition to the medalist earning fully exempt status, finishers Nos. 2-10 (and ties) and 11-40 (and ties) will earn 12 guaranteed starts and eight guaranteed starts, respectively.

SATURDAY NOTES:

* Saturday’s weather: Sunny, High of 66, Winds W 3-7 mph. Tee times were delayed by 55 minutes due to fog on the Devil’s Claw course and off the first tee on the Cattail course. Tee times off the 10th tee on the Cattail course were delayed 70 minutes.

* This week’s purse is $480,000, with $50,000 going to the medalist.

* The Final Stage of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament marks the last qualifying stage for the 2019 Web.com Tour season. Players are competing for status on the 2019 Web.com Tour. The medalist (or co-medalists) will be fully-exempt status next year, while finishers Nos. 2-10 (and ties) will be subject to the third reshuffle (12 guaranteed starts). Players Nos. 11-40 (and ties) will be subject to the second reshuffle (eight guaranteed starts).

* Through three rounds, players at 14-under 202 or better are inside the top-40 (and ties), which would earn them guaranteed starts. In 2017, players that finished at 14-under 274 and lower earned guaranteed starts.

* Both Michael Gellerman and Kevin Lucas sit T5 after round three. Gellerman’s strong play continued as he followed his second-round 60 with a 9-under 63. Lucas remains at T5 after his bogey-free 7-under 65.

* University of Texas standouts Doug Ghim and Scottie Scheffler find themselves near the top of the leaderboard after the third round. Despite having two bogeys on the day, Ghim used six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 17th for a third-round 66 and sits T9. Scheffler birdied four of his final six holes en route to a 4-under 68 and is T14.

* Former No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, Braden Thornberry, dropped from his position of T29 into a tie for 58th after a third-round 2-under 70.