Journeymen Greg Owen of England and Fabian Gomez of Argentina shot 3-under-par 67s and were tied for the lead after three rounds of the FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn.
Neither Gomez, 36, nor Owen, 43, has won a PGA Tour title in a combined 283 starts, although both have recorded second-place finishes. Gomez finished second at the 2013 Puerto Rico Open, while Owen was runner-up at the 2006 Arnold Palmer Invitational.
“It would mean that I’ve won on every Tour I’ve played, so that would be nice,” said Owen, who captured the 2003 British Masters for the biggest of his three pro victories. “It would be just a huge, huge relief that what you’ve been waiting for your whole life you can say you’ve achieved.
“I’ve played smart, (although Friday) I played a little negatively. It was tough. It was cut day and that always seems to bring that (negative mindset) out. You’ve got to play (well), otherwise it’s an early trip home.”
After opening with four birdies on the front nine, Gomez lost the lead when he bogeyed No. 13. He moved back into a share of the lead when he sank a 34-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole.
Gomez, whose victory in the Chitimacha Louisiana Open on the Web.com Tour is the biggest of his 11 pro victories, took the outright lead with a birdie at No. 16 before Owen joined him atop the leaderboard by holing a five-foot birdie putt on the last hole.
“For me to win on the PGA Tour (would be) like a dream come true,” Gomez said through a translator. “(Sunday) is going to be a really exciting day.”
Brooks Koepka, who captured the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February and held at least a share of the lead after each of the first two rounds of the St. Jude, holed a 22-foot birdie putt on the final hole to shoot 71 and was one shot back in a tie for third with Scott Brown, who had a 68.
Matt Jones of Australia recorded a 68 and was three strokes back in a tie for fifth with Austin Cook, who got into his fourth PGA Tour event through Monday qualifying and had a 72 in the third round.
David Toms, a two-time St. Jude champion, posted a 69 and was five shots back in a tie for seventh with Camilo Villegas (66) of Colombia, Arjun Atwal (68), Tim Wilkinson (65), Chad Campbell (70), Ryan Palmer (70), Tom Hoge (71) and Chris Smith (71).
Phil Mickelson, who will make his second bid for the Career Grand Slam next week in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, shot 70 and was six shots back in a tie for 19th, while defending champion Ben Crane fell to a tie for 47th after a 74.
