Jino Sohn takes a one-shot lead into the final round
(ASU photo)

Entering Saturday's fourth and final round, Sohn (67-66-67-200) sits at 10 under par for the tournament and holds a one-stroke advantage over second-round leader Chase Hanna (65-67-69-201), the 2017 Big 12 Champion from Kansas City, KS.

Sohn, the 2015 Arizona high school champion from Hamilton High School in Chandler, got off to a hot start on Friday recording four birdies on the front nine (holes 1, 2, 4 and 7) enroute to a front side 32, and then proceeded to shoot an even-par 35 back nine for his third consecutive round in the 60s.

"I played almost perfect golf for the first seven holes,” the Honolulu native said, “making birdies on three of my first four holes. Then I birdied the seventh hole when I hit it to about five feet on the par three, but I bogeyed my eighth when I hit it into a bush and had to take an unplayable lie. Then I compounded my error by taking a bad drop which resulted in a penalty stroke. All in all, it was a pretty good six. I played a pretty solid back nine, with one birdie and one bogey, but I wasn’t happy with my 19 putts.”

The field of 67 players encountered clear skies with a slight breeze wind and temperatures in the low 100s.

Hanna – a recent University of Kansas graduate – got off to a slow start, shooting a three-over-par 38 on the front side, but rebounded with two birdies (holes 14 and 16) and an eagle on the par 5 18th, to finish at one-under 69.

“I got off to an extremely bad start,” Hanna said, “but I fought hard to bring it back on my second nine with six threes on my card. To be honest, I am very happy with my 69.”

First-round leader Quade Cummins (63-70-71-204) of Weatherford, Okla., Peter Kuest (67-68-69-204) of Fresno, Calif., and Andy Spencer (71-66-67-204) of Prairie Village, Kan. are tied for third at six-under-par entering Saturday’s final round.

Sohn said he has a simple strategy as he looks forward to winning the biggest tournament of his career. “I am just going to go out and keep it very simple, trying to hit fairways and greens, and make as many putts as I can. That approach has worked so far for three rounds, so there is no reason to make any big changes.”

The tournament continues Saturday morning with tee times beginning at 7:30 a.m. off the first and 10th holes on Desert Mountain's Cochise Course. The lead group tees off number one at 9:31 a.m.