Trace Crowe chases wire-to-wire victory, first PGA Tour title at Austin Championship

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Trace Crowe capped off a roller-coaster round in cool, blustery conditions Saturday by holing a bunker shot for birdie and closing with a tough up-and-down for birdie that salvaged a 1-under 71 to give him a one-shot lead going into the final round of the inaugural Austin Championship presented by Compliance Solutions.

At stake for Crowe is a chance to win on the PGA Tour for the first time, which would come with a two-year exemption and spot on the Championship Series in 2028. But there's one more day on the hilly Fazio Canyons Course at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa with more wind in the forecast.

There were also 13 players within three shots of the lead, nine of whom have never won on Tour.

“I’ve been doing this long enough to know that everyone’s really good and they’re just going to keep making birdies,” Crowe said. “My mindset tomorrow is to go attack the day and see what it gives, but just try to play the best I can and hopefully it come out on top.”

Crowe's birdie-birdie finish put him at 14 under, one shot ahead of Erik van Rooyen (69), Sami Valimaki (69) and Chad Ramey (67).

The wind was in Crowe's face on the 219-yard, par-3 17th, and he hit a 4-iron as low as he could. He was fine with it landing in the bunker, especially with such a clean lie.

“It was just sitting uphill, and it just came out perfect and went in,” Crowe said. “Me and my caddie both, we had a feeling I was going to make that.”

He had to chip off a hard-pan lie left of the green on the par-5 18th and clipped it almost too perfectly, leaving him an 8-footer he made to cap off his round.

Max Greyserman and Ben Kohles each shot 69 and were two shots behind, and eight players were another shot back. That group included Austin Smotherman, who can become the first player since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win three straight starts on the PGA Tour. Smotherman won the Bank of Utah Championship and the Buttefield Bermuda Championship across the last month.

Also three shots back of the lead was 6-foot-8 Tommy Morrison, who was a Texas product and wasted no time getting a PGA Tour card through the Korn Ferry Tour since moving on from the collegiate program in June.

Ramey (No. 136) and van Rooyen (No. 140) are both well outside the top 100 in the FedExCup Fall standings, and a victory would bring a two-year exemption. Valimaki is not playing with as much need, having won The RSM Classic last year and exempt through 2027.

The Austin Championship and The RSM are the last two events of the season and the top 100 in the FedExCup Fall standings at the end of next week secure full cards for next season.