MEMPHIS - J.J. Spaun did just enough right at the end of the third round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship to fashion a 2-under-par 68 on Saturday, holding on to his one-shot lead in the opening event of the PGA Tour playoffs but with a familiar name lurking.
At stake for Cameron Smith is something that's been on his mind for a while.
Already in a banner year with his first major championship at last month's British Open - and under heavy scrutiny after recent reports he is headed to the rival LIV Golf circuit - Smith birdied his last hole for a 67. That left him two shots behind and fully aware a victory at TPC Southwind moves him to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
"That's been one of my goals, probably since the start of the year, is to try to get to that top spot," Smith said. "Try and chase it down."
The chase will start out in a traffic jam Sunday.
Spaun had a two-putt birdie on the par-5 16th and holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the next hole to secure the 54-hole lead at 13-under 197. Sepp Straka was right there with him until he failed to save par from the bunker on the 18th for a 68 that left him one shot behind. Both are first-time winners on the PGA Tour this year, and a victory in a FedEx Cup playoff event carries even more weight - $2.7 million to the winner and a guaranteed spot in the Tour Championship in two weeks to close the season.
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world and in the FedEx Cup since March, missed the cut Friday. That paves the way for Smith, whose three wins this year include The Players Championship, to take over at the top if the 28-year-old Australian were to win.
AP photo by Mark Humphrey / Cameron Smith closed the third round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship with a birdie for a 67 on Saturday that left him two shots out of the lead and tied for third.Will Zalatoris is just as hungry, although for different reasons. He has been a tough customer in the majors, this year losing in a playoff at the PGA Championship and finishing one back in the U.S. Open. The 25-year-old American is No. 14 in the world, but he has yet to win on the PGA Tour.
Zalatoris opened with a 71 that put him in such a hole that even his fiancée wanted to know their plans if he didn't make it to the weekend.
"I told her, 'Let's cross that bridge when he get there,'" Zalatoris said with a smile. He decided to let his new caddie, Joel Stock, read putts in their second official round together. Zalatoris shot a 63 on Friday and followed with a 65 on Saturday.
He joined Smith at 11 under, along with Trey Mullinax (66).
As for the chase to the next playoff event, consider Tyler Duncan. He is No. 118 in the FedEx Cup standings, and only the top 70 move on to the BMW Championship that starts Thursday. Duncan had a 67 and was tied for sixth at 10 under, but even if he doesn't win, he can move on if he can hold his position.
That won't be easy with so many players in the mix - 16 players were separated by four shots at the top of the leaderboard, a group that includes Tony Finau. A winner in his previous two starts, Finau ended his streak of 11 consecutive rounds at 68 or lower when he made a bogey on the last hole for a 69, leaving him four behind.
Chattanooga native Keith Mitchell (67) was tied for 29th at 6 under and in good shape in the standings. Fellow Baylor School graduate Stephan Jaeger (69) was tied for 52nd at 3 under and needing to make up considerable ground to advance.