MAZATLÁN, Mexico—Trailing by two at the start of the day, American Daniel Hudson carded a 5-under 67 Thursday to charge to the top of the leaderboard with 18 holes left to play at the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica’sthird Qualifying Tournament for the 2022-23 season. At 15-under 201 for the week at Estrella del Mar Country Club, Hudson leads by one stroke over fellow American Ollie Osborne, who fired a low-of-the-day, 6-under 66 to move into solo second, at 14-under.

Slipping into a two-way tie for third, 36-hole leader Declan Kenny had a bit of a rollercoaster day, making six birdies and five bogeys for a 1-under 71. Trailing by two, at 13-under, the Dallas native is joined by Jorge Villar, who posted a 69 to remain the leading Mexican player.

“I was a little anxious and nervous at the start of the day. Obviously being in the last group at Q-School is where you want to be, but I think every single round you need to get some confidence early, so you can go and trust your game and play free,” said Hudson, who birdied the second and then closed out the front nine with four birdies in a row to make the turn a 5-under for the day.

He added his sixth and last birdie of his round on 11 and then had his only bogey, on 16, to navigate the demanding back nine, where the sea wind has gusted to 20 mph. The wind could add its share of drama on the back nine Friday, with players battling to make the top 12 and walk away from Estrella del Mar with guaranteed starts on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.

“You just go out and hope to play a nice front nine, try and make as many birdies as you can before you stand on that 13th tee. With the exception of 14, which is a decent birdie chance, the 13th through 18th are good pars. When it’s windy like this later in the day, it’s tough. You have to dig deep mentally and find a way to trust yourself enough and keep doing it,” added the 27-year-old Hudson, who is looking to become a PGA TOUR Latinoamérica member for the second time in his career.

Did you know Daniel Hudson has played in three previous PGA TOUR Latinoamérica starts during the 2020-21 season? He made two cuts, with his best performance a tie for 19th at the Mexico Open, where he shot himself out of contention with a third-round 79 only to recover on the final day, shooting a 10-under 62 in a tournament also at Estrella del Mar.

Key Information

How the Tournament Works

Thursday, Luke Kwon became the first and only player to withdraw, leaving 83 players in the field heading into the final round. Below is a breakdown of the various PGA TOUR Latinoamérica membership statuses available this week.

This is a 72-hole, no-cut event. There will be playoffs, if necessary, for the medalist position and for the 12th and final position available.

Players in this week’s field come from nine countries or territories: Australia, Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, Mexico, South Korea, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States.

Led by Jorge Villar, in a tie for third, at 13-under, and Salvador Rocha, in a tie for seventh, at 8-under, there are seven Mexican players currently in the top 40. The others in position to earn PGA TOUR Latinoamérica cards are Luis Gerardo Garza (tied for 13th), Santiago Castilla (tied for 29th), Andrés Brictson (tied for 32nd), amateur Héctor Barnetche and José Dibildox (tied for 39th).

Although he slipped into a tie for 39th, at even-par, Mexico’s Hector Barnetche remains the best of four amateurs playing this week. His countryman Alfonso Franco and American Rij Patel are tied for 61st, at 6-over. Francisco Pérez, another Mexican, is 82nd.

Entering the day in a tie for 39th after a 69-75 start, Brian Bullington made the strongest move of the day by firing a 6-under 66. The 29-year-old from Frankfort, Illinois, gained 26 spots on the leaderboard to enter Friday’s all-important final round in a tie for 13th, just outside the top 12 who will walk away with guaranteed 2022-23 tournament starts. The University of Iowa alum is hoping for a return to PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, where he made 22 career appearances between 2016 and 2018.

Less than two months after suffering a life-threatening head injury on September 23, LukeKwon tried his best to compete. After rounds of 79-70-72, he opted to withdraw after today’s round. The South Korean player, a collegiate star at the University of Oklahoma, made 15 PGA TOUR Latinoamérica starts over the past two seasons, finishing 99th on the Totalplay Cup 2021-22 season standings last June.

Third-Round Weather: Sunny and clear. High of 79. Wind NW at 12-20 mph.