Camden’s Cole Anderson, an amateur playing in his first major professional event, was the co-leader after three rounds of the second annual Live and Work in Maine Tournament on the Korn Ferry Tour at the Falmouth Country Club.
The 21-year-old Anderson, who plays for Florida State University, shot a 7-under-par 64 on Saturday, registered seven birdies and 11 pars to share the lead at a 15-under-par 198 with former University of Texas golfer Pierceson Coody going into the final day of the tournament on Sunday.
It is rare for an amateur to contend at a major pro tournament. The Korn Ferry Tour is only one notch below the PGA Tour. The top 25 finishers in points and the top 25 in a three-tournament series after the regular season earn their PGA Tour cards for next season.
Topsham’s Caleb Manuel who, like Anderson, received a sponsor’s exemption to play in the tournament, shot a 2-over-par 144 over the first two rounds and missed the cut by two shots. Manuel, who just completed his sophomore year at the University of Connecticut, played in the Korn Ferry Tournament a year ago and missed the cut by shooting a 16-over-par 158.
Anderson’s 64 followed a pair of 67s on Thursday and Friday over the par-71, 7,372-yard layout.
Anderson, who won two individual state Class A championships at Camden Hills High School in Rockport and shared a third title, finished tied for 40th among 169 golfers at the NCAA Division I championships at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona just over three weeks ago.
Coody helped his Texas Longhorns capture the team title. He and Anderson are now two shots ahead of third-place Fabian Gomez from Argentina going into Sunday.