WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Harold Varner and Kelly Kraft are looking to add to the list of first-time winners on the PGA Tour in West Virginia.
Varner shot a 4-under 66 Saturday to tie Kraft at the top entering the final round of A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier.
Both are seeking their first career win in their 85th start. Since this tournament debuted in 2010, there have been four first-time champions but no third-round leader has won.
“I wish we could go play right now,” Varner said. “I’m pretty hungry. This is what you work for. This is what I get so pumped up to do.”
Varner made four back-nine birdies after 10 consecutive pars to catch Kraft, the second-round leader who let a four-stroke lead slip away and shot 1-under 69.
Both were at 14-under 196.
Varner’s best finish on tour was a tie for fifth at the OHL Classic in Mexico in 2016. He had one top-10 finish each of the past two years and won the Australian PGA Championship in 2016.
“I guess this whole thing’s new to me because I’ve never had a lead going into the last day,” Varner said. “But I don’t really lack confidence. That’s never really been a problem. I just need to slow down and take it all in, because there’s going to be something that happens tomorrow where I can learn and I can grow and I can get a lot better. So it goes back to keeping it in perspective.”
Kraft, who finished fifth in last year’s tournament, refused to get down on himself despite bogeys on two of his final three holes.
“I’m just going to stay patient tomorrow,” he said. “I hit a lot of good shots today.”
Fifteen golfers were within five shots of the lead.
Kraft had a one-stroke lead entering the round, the first time he’s led after 36 holes.
Defending champion Xander Schauffele and Kevin Na were at 13 under. Both shot 65.
Webb Simpson, the first-round leader after a 61, shot a 76 to fall eight strokes back.
LPGA: Sei Young Kim shot an 8-under-par 64 in the third round of the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic in Oneida, Wis., to tie the 54-hole record of 24 under and take a commanding eight-stroke lead.
Amy Yang is a distant second at 16 under after shooting a 5-under 67.
EUROPEAN TOUR: South African golfer Erik van Rooyen left behind his overnight co-leaders to grab a commanding four-shot lead going into the final day of the Irish Open in Donegal.
Van Rooyen began the third round in a three-way tie for the lead, but stormed to the turn in just 29 shots on his way to a 6-under 66 as he moved to 14 under.
He was four shots ahead of Joakim Lagergren of Sweden (69) and Ryan Fox of New Zealand (70).
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