BYRON, Minn. -- Bryce Molder fired a 7-under 65 Saturday to move into a four-way tie for the lead after three rounds of the Scholarship America Showdown. Molder stands at 12-under-par 204 through 54 holes.
He was joined atop the leaderboard by Mike Perez (72), Kyle Thompson (67) and second-round leader Jon Turcott, who struggled to a 1-over 73 on Saturday.
Louisiana Open winner Johnson Wagner used his second straight 6-under 66 -- that included a double-eagle on the par-5 first -- to climb into a tie for fifth place at minus-11. He stands alongside Justin Bolli, Jess Daley, John Merrick, Tim O’Neal, Brandt Snedeker and 2000 U.S. Amateur champion Jeff Quinney.
Molder climbed the leaderboard with three birdies over his opening nine holes to get to minus-8. After four straight pars, he rolled off four birdies in a five-hole span from the 11th to move to 11 under.
The 27-year-old gave a stroke back on the 17th, but birdied 18 at Somerby Golf Club to grab a share of the lead.
Perez birdied the first to move to minus-13. However, the 26-year-old went backwards with three bogeys over his next 10 holes to fall to minus-10. He got two of those shots back with birdies on 16 and 18 to end at 12 under.
Thompson was 7 under entering the round, but quickly moved into contention as he birdied each of the first four holes.
After five pars, Thompson birdied 10 and 12 to get to 13 under. He later wrapped bogeys at 14 and 16 around a birdie on 15. Thompson parred the last two to remain at 12 under.
‘Anybody can win this thing,’ admitted Thompson. ‘I’m right where I want to be, in contention with one round to go.’
Turcott, who is a Canadian Tour player making his first Nationwide Tour start of the season, was one-over through nine holes as he made the turn at 12 under.
On the back nine, Turcott birdied 10 and 12 to regain his spot atop the leaderboard at minus-14. Turcott, who Monday qualified for this event, faltered to three bogeys in a four-hole stretch from the 13th to fall behind the leaders. However he birdied the last to regain a piece of the lead.
‘I was grinding out there. What everyone else does is not up to me,’ Turcott stated. ‘I can only control myself. It should be fun out there tomorrow.’
Jason Caron is alone in 12th at 10-under-par 206 after a third-round 68. Kim Felton, Mario Tiziani and 2002 U.S. Amateur champion Ricky Barnes are one stroke further back at minus-9.
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