If you don’t know the name Matt McCarty, it’s time to get familiar.
In August, McCarty became the 13th player since 1997 to earn the Korn Ferry Tour’s Three-Victory Promotion, immediately making him eligible for the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall. He won the Price Cutter Charity Championship in July and both the Pinnacle Bank Championship and Albertsons Boise Open in August. Following his T-63 finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship, McCarty is 19 under and the 54-hole leader at the 2024 Black Desert Championship in Utah.
The 26-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona, bogeyed his first hole of the day but caught fire before the turn, birdieing Nos. 4-6 and 8 while adding an eagle at the par-5 seventh. The 5-under 31 put him a shot clear of Stephan Jaeger — winner of the Texas Children’s Houston Open earlier this season — at the time.
On his way back to the clubhouse, McCarty bogeyed the 10th but birdied three of his final five holes to solidify his position atop the leaderboard.
What did his tremendous season on the Korn Ferry Tour teach him?
“Simply just learn how to win,” he said. “The experience of being in contention out there, I think it’s very similar to kind of what I felt today, and honestly helped me just kind of feel a little bit calmer about it. But, yeah, it definitely all kind of builds upon itself. You know, the last three months have been great in order to kind of get to that spot. Really excited for tomorrow.”
The only player to earn the Three-Victory Promotion and win on Tour in the same season was Jason Gore in 2005 at the 84 Lumber Classic.
McCarty will start Sunday with a two-shot advantage.
Here are a few more notes from a busy day in the Beehive State.
Black Desert: Leaderboard
Big moves from The Bucket
Joe Highsmith had a tough year. Before the FedEx Cup Fall, the bucket-hat-wearing 24-year-old missed 13 cuts across 20 starts and finished inside the top 25 just three times. However, he’s found his game a bit since the fall session kicked off last month.
The Pepperdine product tied for 13th at the Procore Championship and for 55th at the Sanderson Farm Championship. And through 54 holes of the Black Desert, Highsmith is firmly in the mix.
After rounds of 66-68, Highsmith turned it to another gear on Saturday, firing a third-round 9-under 62 to jump into a tie for second at 17 under.
Third birdie of the week on No. 17 for @JoeHighsmith33!
He's just one back @BDChampionship. pic.twitter.com/EeCZJBzDZP
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 12, 2024
“It was certainly probably one of the best rounds I’ve ever played in my entire life golfing,” he told the media after signing his card. “It got pretty hard on the back nine with some crosswinds. So, yeah, I mean, feeling great about it … I’m not really trying to analyze it too much. Just kind of stay there and hopefully keep it going tomorrow.”
Streelman looks for first win in 10 years
Kevin Streelman left TPC River Highlands in 2014 as a two-time Tour winner. When he arrived at Black Desert Resort, he was still a two-time Tour winner.
He’ll have a chance to end his 10-year drought on Sunday after a stellar 8-under 63 that included nine birdies, seven of which came on the back nine. Streelman’s 28 coming home vaulted him up the leaderboard into a tie for second and he will tee off Sunday two shots off the lead.
“I had a great warmup,” he said. “The putter felt great all week. Didn’t get off to the start I wanted to today. I was a little disappointed on what I did on 2 flipping it into the rocks and was fortunate to get out of there with a bogey. Man, starting on 7 I kind of made a decision. That’s a tee shot where you got to keep it very straight. You are rewarded if you can hit a nice drive or a 3-wood, and I just smashed a 3-wood down there and hit a great 5-wood just short, pitched it to six feet, and felt like I was off and running.”
Streelman ranked sixth in Strokes Gained: Putting on Saturday, gaining over 2.5 shots on the field. If that continues during the final round, the Duke product will be tough to beat.
Fun fact of the day
At -19, Matt McCarty currently holds a two-shot clubhouse lead over Kevin Streelman and fellow left-hander Joe Highsmith at the Black Desert Championship. The last event with a left-handed winner and runner-up: 2018 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Ted Potter, Jr., Phil Mickelson).
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) October 12, 2024
Top 10 and odds to win
| Position | Player | Score | Odds to win |
| 1st | Matt McCarthy | 19 under | (+160) |
| T-2 | Joe Highsmith | 17 under | (+650) |
| T-2 | Kevin Streelman | 17 under | (+750) |
| T-2 | Harris English | 17 under | (+450) |
| T-2 | Stephan Jaeger | 17 under | (+400) |
| 6th | Harry Hall | 15 under | (+1800) |
| T-7 | Kurt Kitayama | 14 under | (+3000) |
| T-7 | Chad Ramey | 14 under | (+5500) |
| T-7 | Beau Hossler | 14 under | (+3000) |
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