Cantlay jumps 3 clear in Indiana

Fort Wayne, IN – Patrick Cantlay fired an 8-under 64 on Saturday to grab a 3-stroke lead at the Hotel Fitness Championship.

Cantlay, who was one of three co-leaders at the end of the second round, finished three rounds at Sycamore Hills Golf Club at 19-under-par 197. The Colombia Championship winner is now in prime position to capture the first event of the inaugural Web.com Tour Finals.

Kevin Kisner sits alone in second place at 16-under following his sizzling 63 on Saturday, while the other second-round co-leaders, Trevor Immelman (69) and Michael Putnam (69), share third place with Arron Oberholser (68), Bobby Gates (64), Scott Gardiner (66) and Bud Cauley (68) at 14-under.

Will Claxton (67) and Seung-Yul Noh (64) are tied for ninth at 13-under 203.

The finals consist the top 75 on the Web.com Tour money list and Nos. 126-200 on the PGA Tour's FedExCup points list, as well as some exemptions, competing for 25 PGA Tour cards.

The top 25 players on the regular season money list have already earned 2013-2014 PGA Tour cards and are playing for priority ranking, while the other 25 PGA Tour cards will be handed out to the top cumulative money earners through the four-event finals.

It was a crowded leaderboard throughout the third round and with Cantlay, Noh, Gates, Immelman and Gardiner all sharing the lead at 14-under while on their back nine, Noh ended his round with a bogey at the 18th to claim the clubhouse lead at 13-under.

That mark would not stand, however, as Gates rolled in his third straight birdie at the 17th to move to 15-under. He bogeyed the last to fall back to minus-14 and replace Noh with the clubhouse lead.

It was then Cantlay's turn to take control, as he recorded an eagle at the 12th to leap ahead of the pack at 16-under.

Immelman, who was playing alongside Cantlay in the final group off the first tee, birdied the same hole to claim sole possession of second place, but tripped to a double-bogey 6 at the 13th to fall three shots off the pace.

Kisner then made a late push by capping his bogey-free round with five birdies over his final seven holes to race up the leaderboard and join Cantlay at 16- under.

The tie was shortlived, though, as Cantlay responded with three straight gains from the 15th to grab a 3-stroke cushion.

Cantlay parred his final hole to maintain that advantage heading into the final round.

"Less is more and I really try to be aware of not stretching my back out too much. Playing is actually the easy part because it's just hit a shot and walk," said Cantlay, who missed a lengthy period of the season with a back injury.

NOTES: The third round was played in threesomes off split tees ... Cantlay made just eight starts on the Web.com Tour this year ... Cantlay had one of 10 bogey-free rounds on Saturday.