By Stan Olenik. Editor-Publisher. The Golf Club

SUMTER — Austin Langdale spent much of the opening 36 holes battling the Quixote Club.

On Saturday, he finally began playing the course instead of fighting it.

The former Clemson standout fired a 5-under-par 65, matching the low round of the tournament, to build a five-shot lead entering Sunday’s final round of the South Carolina Amateur Championship.

The lead didn’t come easily.

Colorado University golfer Casey Kosney birdied the opening hole to briefly move in front before Langdale settled into the patient grinding approach that has carried him over the final 27 holes. His front nine included four birdies, three pars and two bogeys for a 2-under 33, giving him a one-shot advantage at the turn.

“This golf course requires a lot of patience,” Langdale said. “I think I had more patience on the last 27 holes than I did on the first 27 holes.”

That patience paid off on the back nine.

Consistently leaving himself on the correct side of the hole, Langdale birdied five of his first seven holes after the turn to steadily pull away from the field. Kosney answered with an eagle on the par-5 12th, but Langdale birdied the same hole and surrendered only a single shot.

“It was pretty good in the middle of the round,” Langdale said. “I was able to make a few putts in the middle of the round.”

Defending champion Sam Jackson also made an early charge, opening with birdies on each of his first two holes before a double bogey at No. 9 slowed his momentum. Jackson responded with three birdies on the back nine to shoot 68 and finish the day tied with Kosney for second at 4-under par.

Langdale stands at 9-under par. James Sanders of Goose Creek and Drew Andrews of Hartsville share fourth place at 2-under, seven shots off the lead.

Sunday’s final round could put Langdale among the most accomplished amateur golfers in South Carolina history.

With a win the 2011 South Carolina Junior champion could become just the sixth golfer since the junior championship began in 1959 to win both the South Carolina Junior and South Carolina Amateur titles.

Langdale captured the junior championship 15 years ago, taking a one-shot lead over future PGA Tour winner Matt NeSmith into the final round before pulling away for a three-shot victory.

An unofficial review of SCGA records shows only five players have completed the Junior-Amateur double:

• Jack Lewis (Junior 1964, Amateur 1965)
• Lucas Glover (Junior 1996, Amateur 1998, 1999 and 2000)
• Mark Swygart (Junior 1989, Amateur 1994)
• Mark Anderson (Junior 2003, Amateur 2009)
• Gregg Jones (Junior 1999, Amateur 2017)

Langdale believes the formula for joining that group won’t change.

“The more you play this golf course, the more you know where the tricky spots on the greens are,” he said. “You just have to take your medicine when you need to and stay patient.”

Langdale, Kosney and Jackson will play together in the final group, which tees off Sunday at 9:40 a.m. The winner earns the South Carolina Amateur championship and the state’s automatic berth into the U.S. Amateur Championship.

Third round scores from the South Carolina Golf Association Amateur https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/5755865