Smotherman has Lowry for company going into final round

Overnight leader Austin Smotherman will go into the final round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches with this three stroke lead erased.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry shot 8-under-par 63, with birdies in the final two holes, to surge into a share of the lead with Smotherman, with the pair holding a one stroke lead.

Smotherman had an eagle putt from inside 16 feet on the final hole but settled for birdie. He ended up with 69 in the third round. The 31-year-old Smotherman, is bidding for his first victory on the PGA Tour. He missed the cut in three of his four previous tournaments this year.

Lowry is seeking his fourth PGA Tour win and his first since the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a team event he won with Rory McIlroy. Lowry hasn’t secured an individual title since becoming a major champion at the 2019 British Open.

Lowry and Smotherman take 13-under 200 scores into Sunday’s final round at PGA National’s Champion Course.

Taylor Moore, who carded as 67 and Colombia’s Nico Echavarria, who fired in a 66 round are one stroke back.

Lowry was 6 under through 10 holes and then tacked on birdies on the last two holes.

Echavarria’s bogey-free round put him in position to contend for his third tournament title on the PGA Tour.

Jimmy Stanger (65) is at 11 under, while Ricky Castillo (64) and Canada’s A.J. Ewart (68) sit at 10 under. Joel Dahmen (68) is four shots off the lead.

Stanger turned in a rather tame round with a bogey on No. 2 and then seven birdies the rest of the way after Friday’s adventure that included two eagles and two double-bogeys.

Defending champion Joe Highsmith shot 76 and is in 67th place at 5 over.

Patton Kizzire (T9/-8). who only made the cut with a birdie on his final hole of the second round; carded a third-round 63 to tie Shane Lowry for low-round of the day; last year, Highsmith made the cut on the number and went on to win this event

Brooks Koepka carded a two under 69, his second straight under-par round of the week. Koepka fired in five birdies and three bogeys and finished the day at 4 under for the tournament, in a tie for 31st on the leaderboard.