Joe Affrunti unwrapped the tape from his left wrist and removed the blue Nike wristband from underneath it.
The Nationwide Tour rookie missed a year of mini-tour golf to recover from surgery.
These days the tape job helps his head more than it prevents his wrist from throbbing. It helps keep his mind in a good place.
And he’s in the best place possible on the Chattanooga Classic leaderboard – first place.
The University of Illinois graduate shot a 4-under-par 68 on Saturday, which pushed him to 18-under 198 for the Nationwide tournament at Black Creek Club.
“I’d rather be leading than behind by a shot because I don’t have to make up any shots,” Affrunti said. “If you shoot even and the rest of the field shoots even, you win. You shoot 6 under and the field shoots 5 under, and you win.
“I think anybody in the field would rather be leading.”
Affrunti began the third round with a three-shot lead over Ryan Armour and Ted Potter Jr., who shot 70 and 71, respectively. David Branshaw closed to within one shot of Affrunti by shooting a 7-under 65.
“You don’t want to get too far behind,” Branshaw said. “You can’t control what anybody else is doing, and you can’t guarantee yourself birdies.”
Rob Oppenheim used an 8-under round to earn sole possession of third place at 14 under, four shots behind Affrunti.
“It was one of those rounds where I kept creeping around, then I made a birdie on 16 and a birdie on 17 from down in the swale,” said Oppenheim, who eagled No. 18. “I was playing good, then I go 4 under over the last three and turn a good round into a great round.”
Armour and Scott Gardiner are tied for fourth at 203, and there is a five-way tie for sixth at 204.
It could be a three-man race today. But they’re playing at Black Creek Club, which has yielded one of the five lowest winning scores on the Nationwide Tour each of the last seven years.
More than 1,400 birdies and 53 eagles have been made on the course, compared to 920 bogeys. Golfers such as Gardiner, Armour and anybody else can gamble by going right at pins, driving two greens and possibly reap big rewards.
“Anybody can go low, like 10 under is definitely out there,” Affrunti said. “Anybody who plays the par-5s well can easily get to it. You birdie those and you’re 4 under, add a couple more birdies and you’re 8 under, and the next thing you know it’s 10.”