Ben Griffin and Germany's Matti Schmid shot 2-under-par 68s in the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge to maintain the top spots on Saturday in their quests for breakthrough victories this weekend at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
Griffin and Schmid have been tied at the end of all three rounds this week and head into Sunday with matching scores of 13-under 197 – four shots clear of the next-closest player in Rickie Fowler, who posted a 67 to move into third place at 9 under.
Meanwhile, world No 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler plowed his way through the field with a 64, putting him at 7 under and potentially within range of the leader going into the final round.
Griffin is bidding for his second PGA Tour victory but the first in an individual competition.
He was part of the pairing with Andrew Novak to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in late April.
Schmid, in his 79th tour event, is seeking his first victory.
His best finishes are a pair of third-place showings, most recently in November 2023.
Both golfers birdied the first three holes. Schmid then had all pars, aside from a bogey on No 11, through the 15th.
Griffin fell three strokes back with a double-bogey at No 5 followed by a bogey on the next hole.
He recovered with birdies on two of the next four holes and pulled even courtesy of Schmid's first bogey of the day.
Schmid went ahead with a birdie on the 16th hole and gave it back on the next hole with a bogey.
Scotland's Robert MacIntyre shot 64 to sit at 8 under for the tournament. He's joined in a fourth-place tie by Nick Hardy (67) and Akshay Bhatia (69).
Scheffler, who won last week's PGA Championship and is seeking to extend his winning streak to three tournaments, is up to a tie for seventh place.
He was 7 under for the round after an eagle on the 11th hole, but three bogeys and two birdies the rest of the way zapped some of the momentum.
Novak (67) and Kurt Kitayama (67) are also at 7 under.
Japan's Ryo Hisatsune was poised to be among the top tier until playing the final six holes in 3 over for a 71, dipping to 6 under.
Lucas Glover shot 64, boosted by an eagle from the fairway (136 yards away) on the par-4 sixth hole, to join the large group at 6 under.
First-round leader John Pak (73) dipped to 6 under.