Si Woo Kim fired a 6-under 66 featuring seven birdies and one bogey at the La Quinta Country Club on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead at 22-under at The American Express.

Kim seeks a fifth PGA Tour title in his 302nd start at the age of 30.

“It was a great start again. I started birdie on the first hole. Second hole it was an easy par-5. I didn’t get any advantage on the first two par-5s, so that makes me a little nervous and a little anxious. But I did okay. Then I ended up a good par on No. 9. So I think that helps gets me going. I think it was a great round, especially when it was tricky winds,” said Kim.

“I think it was much better than last week. I putted great the last two days, so that helps me. It was a little windy still, but it wasn’t like last week, so that helps me. I think it’s getting used to it for the wind, so I was not really comfortable though.”

With a win on Sunday, the 2021 American Express champion would become the first South Korean winner on Tour since Tom Kim at the 2023 Shriners Children’s Open.

Kim holds his seventh career 54-hole lead/co-lead and second at the event. He is 2-for-6 converting to victory (2016 Wyndham Championship, 2021 American Express).

Americans Blades Brown (one bogey) and Scottie Scheffler (two bogeys) who were tied for the lead overnight both carded 68s at the Stadium Course and moved down into a share of second place at 21-under.

Brown is playing on a sponsor exemption in his 10th career Tour start becoming the youngest player inside the top two on the leaderboard through 54 holes in a Tour event (excluding major championships) since 1970.

With a win he would become the second-youngest winner in PGA Tour history (18 years, 8 months, 4 days) and the first teenager to win since Jordan Spieth at the 2013 John Deere Classic.

American World No. 1 Scheffler seeks his 20th win in his 151st start at the age of 29. With a win,he would become the 40th player to reach 20 wins on the PGA Tour and move to T36 on the all-time wins list.

With rounds of 64-66-66, Eric Cole is the only player in the field bogey-free through 54-holes marking his first time bogey-free through 54-holes in his 108th PGA Tour career start. He has had two runner-up results, both in 2023 (P2/Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, T2/Baycurrent Classic). He is currently T4 at 20-under.

Also tied in fourth place is fellow American Wyndham Clark who made a single bogey for a 66 at La Quinta.

Third-round scoring average by course: Stadium Course (71.40), Nicklaus Course (68.80), La Quinta CC (68.42).

The 54-hole cut of 11-under 205 is the second-lowest cut in The American Express history since 2012, when the event became 72-holes (lowest: 13-under/2024).

Related: Adam Rehberg interview

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