Austin Hurt, Charlie Beljan Share One-Shot Lead After Three Rounds of 2026 PGA Professional Championship
The Bandon Dunes course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort was definitely more likely to current a troublesome check. When robust, chilly, late-afternoon winds arrived on Tuesday, it did simply that within the third spherical of the 2026 PGA Professional Championship.
Playing collectively within the ultimate group, Austin Hurt (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) and Charlie Beljan (Mesa, Ariz.) weathered the difficult situations and shared a one-shot lead at 3-under-par heading into Wednesday’s finale. Hurt, the 36-hole chief, shot a 5-over-par 77 whereas Beljan carded a 2-over-par 74.
Ben Kern (South Bloomfield, Ohio), Derek Berg (Duvall, Wash.) and Jesse Droemer (Houston, Texas) are T-3, one shot again at 2-under-par. Mark Geddes (Coronado, Calif.) is sixth at 1-under-par. Five gamers are T-7, three pictures off the lead at even par.
Hurt, PGA Head Golf Professional at Wing Point Golf & Country Club, navigated a front-nine rollercoaster that included back-to-back bogeys on the par-3 2nd and par-5 third holes. He then bogeyed holes 5-6 earlier than tallying his first birdie of the day on the par-4 seventh. Going bogey-birdie on holes 8-9 closed his front-nine at 3-over.
The 37-year-old Hurt rebounded from consecutive bogeys on holes 10-11 with a birdie on the par-3 twelfth. After bogeying the par-3 fifteenth, he notched a clutch birdie on the par-4 sixteenth. Finishing on a excessive word, he sank a seven-foot par putt on the par-5 18th to stay in a tie atop the leaderboard.
“It was very hard all the way around,” Hurt stated. “It started hard and I faced adversity super early and tried to weather that through five holes. It was going bad and I really tried to keep my head on my shoulders and I’ll say it again, take it one shot at a time. I’ve really been focusing on that all week. I was able to get through today even though it was a 77. It felt like one of the hardest fought rounds that I’ve ever played.”
Despite the challenges in spherical three, the Pacific Northwest PGA Member feels good about his recreation heading into Wednesday.
“I think we’re in a great spot,” Hurt stated. “I learned a lot today and you know I hope to carry that resilience with me and show people that that’s what it takes to prevail. I had some great rounds earlier this week.”
Beljan, a PGA Teaching Professional at Torreon Golf Club, collected his personal front-nine bogeys on the par-4 1st and fifth holes. Things rotated in a giant means at holes 9 and 10: The 41-year-old eagled the par-5 ninth (after a “beautiful” 8-iron into the inexperienced) then notched his lone birdie of the day on the par-4 tenth.
The Southwest PGA Member posted back-to-back bogeys on holes 11-12 earlier than concluding his third spherical with 5 pars and a ultimate bogey on the par-3 fifteenth.
“Bandon Dunes reared its teeth right before we teed off,” stated Beljan. “I had to hit shots, be creative, do everything that I haven’t had to do and I have never really done except for when I was back in school at the University of New Mexico and the wind blew. It was extremely difficult out there today, and I’m beyond thrilled with 2 over.”
Beljan seems to attract on previous expertise as he prepares for the ultimate spherical.
“This was different, but I’m so proud of the way I hung in there today,” he stated. “There’s 18 more holes of golf. Anybody’s ballgame, especially out here, and especially if the wind blows like it does today. Anything can happen. So I’m excited for the challenge.”
Kern, the PGA General Manager at Hickory Hills Golf Course, started his morning third spherical T-71 earlier than rocketing up the leaderboard with a 5-under-par 67, the low spherical of the day. After an eagle on the par-5 ninth, he performed his back-nine at 4-under-par.
Berg, a PGA Teaching Professional at PNW Golf Academy, and Droemer, a PGA Teaching Professional at Riverbend Country Club, each recorded 2-over-par 74s.
“It was a grind,” Droemer stated. “The toughest thing was putting. I mean it was hard just to two-putt from 10 feet sometimes. But that’s what you want. You’re competing for a good amount of money in a major championship, so I want the toughest conditions. It was a lot of fun.”
Geddes, PGA Director of Golf at Coronado Golf Course, posted 2-under-par 70.
Riley Wheeldon (Newtown Square, Pa.) is T-12 at 1-over-par following a 3-over-par 75. Allie Knight (Knoxville, Tenn.) shot 6-over-par 78 and is T-34.
72 gamers made the 54-hole minimize at 7-over-par 222. Wednesday’s ultimate spherical of the 2026 PGA Professional Championship introduced by Club Car, Corebridge Financial and Rolex will likely be broadcast reside on Golf Channel from 3-6 pm (PT).