Will Zalatoris stands alone atop crowded leaderboard at Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – Will Zalatoris birdied two of his final three holes Saturday to break through a crowded leaderboard and cement a one-shot advantage heading into the final round of the Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass.

But 10 other players trail by three strokes or less on the Dye’s Valley Course, including Joseph Bramlett, whose 64 netted him the low round of the day and a tie for second alongside Luke List, Chase Wright and Lee Hodges at 9-under 201.

“It’s anybody’s ballgame,” Zalatoris said. “Sure, I’ve got a one-shot advantage, but you don’t even look at it as sitting on a lead, if you will. I’ve still got to go get it tomorrow.”

The 23-year-old Zalatoris carded a third-round 65 to move to 10-under 200 for the week and in position for the first Korn Ferry Tour victory of his career. The Plano, Texas, resident has a pair of top-10 finishes so far this season, including a tie for fourth at the season-opening Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay.

“A win’s a win. I’m going to give a boring answer here that you’ve heard a million times, but I’m just going to go about my business,” he said. “I’ve shot 10-under the last three days on a pretty tough golf course, and I feel like every aspect of my game is clicking. So just keep going about my business with what I’m doing. If I win, great, if not, it’s still a learning experience. The ultimate goal is just to get better every day.”

The Wake Forest University product opened his day with a pair of birdies, then added a third at No. 8 en route to a front-nine 32. His lone hiccup of the day came on a bogey at the par-3 11th, but he rebounded with a birdie at the next and two more at Nos. 16 and 18 to overtake Bramlett by a stroke.

The 32-year-old Bramlett is likewise in search of his maiden professional victory. And his performance Saturday has turned that longtime goal into a reality, as the Stanford product surged to the top of the leaderboard with a round that at one point saw him within earshot of a 59.

Bramlett was 8-under with six holes to play on the par-70 course before bogeys on two of his final four holes ultimately undid those aspirations. But it was nevertheless an impressive round for the Las Vegas resident, who carded four birdies and an eagle over his first nine holes, jumpstarted by a 40-foot birdie at the 10th.

“That always gives you those good vibes for the day,” said Bramlett, who is making his first Korn Ferry Tour start of the season. “Kind of kept it rolling from there. My wedges were just very dialed in today. I had a lot of good chances, probably Nos. 13 through 16, and then I hooped it on 17 from 170 yards, and then I birdied 18, and then I birdied one, and all of the sudden we were rolling. It’s good to be back playing tournament golf and get on a run like that.”

Bramlett is looking to become just the second African American to win on the Korn Ferry Tour after Cameron Champ's win at the 2018 Utah Championship. He is motivated to add his name to that shortlist on Sunday, spurred on in part by the fact that Harold Varner III is also deep into contention this week at the PGA TOUR’s Charles Schwab Challenge.

“I just feel like I’ve had a lot of great support and I have a lot of good vibes right now,” said Bramlett, who has a trio of top-25 finishes this season on the PGA TOUR. “Coming off the long break, I’m excited to be back competing, and accompany that with everything going on in the world, I just feel a little closer to people that are in my life right now. I feel like I’m in a really good place. I see Harold doing what he’s doing and I honestly want to catch him. If he’s going to win, I want to win too.”

“It would mean a lot,” he continued. “I have not won out here yet, and I feel like I’m good enough to do it. But it’s not good enough until you get it done. It would mean a lot. I’m really excited about the chance I have tomorrow.”