After learning from past mistakes, Keith Mitchell is ready for his moment at Sanderson Farms Championship

Keith Mitchell admitted Friday the biggest reason he wanted to be a consistent presence in the FedExCup Fall was because of how much he loved the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational. The pair of Signature Events have open spots for those who earn their way in via the Aon Next 10 and those courses – and tournaments – mean a lot to him.

But through 54 holes at the Sanderson Farms Championship, Mitchell, who holds the third-round lead by one, has less of what’s next in his mind. He’s focused on what’s happening now.

Like trying to break through for a PGA TOUR title for the first time in more than five years.

“I would like to think I could have won more than once with my game and I haven't because I've succumbed to the pressure and tried to force things and did things out of my control,” Mitchell said. “You can't do that. You never know what's going to happen with the guys around you.”

Mitchell fired a 7-under 65 Saturday at The Country Club of Jackson and has a one-shot advantage over Beau Hossler heading into Sunday’s finale in Mississippi. Mitchell’s putter has been the massive key to his success so far this week, as he sits second in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week. He’s 150th in that same statistic for the 2024 campaign.

The University of Georgia alum birdied his final two holes Saturday – including a 37-foot bomb on the penultimate hole – to put a bow on a bogey-free moving day.

“My putter feels great,” Mitchell said. “My ball striking was better today. I think it could be just a touch better tomorrow. But if I do hit a bad shot, understanding it's okay to hit a bad shot and just get right back if play and try to make par and let my putter try to make some birdie putts when the pins are tough.”

Mitchell, who last won the PGA TOUR at the Honda Classic in 2019, held the 54-hole lead at the Valspar Championship earlier this season. His two-shot cushion was quickly erased after he blew his opening tee shot well left and then bogeyed the second hole of the day en route to a 6-over 77.

Mitchell said while the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook is obviously a difficult track, he felt like he was doing everything as best he could “physically” that Sunday, but mentally he was a “train wreck” after the first two holes.

“Learning from that is really all I can do,” Mitchell admitted. “Only won once and trying to close the door a second time, which has been clearly very difficult for me.”

Surrounding Mitchell on the leaderboard are plenty of golfers who are all trying to break through for a title – and all in different stages of their careers.

Beau Hossler, in second alone, is now a veteran touring pro, having joined the professional ranks in 2016. He’s still searching for his first TOUR title. Kevin Yu was a star at Arizona State University, has notched four top 10s this season, and is in solo third, two back of Mitchell. Multi-time TOUR winner and 44-year-old Lucas Glover is tied with 23-year-old rookie Jacob Bridgeman and Bud Cauley, who continues down his hearty return-to-action road after a three-year injury layoff.

“It was a long process to get back. You know, I guess coming out and playing competitive golf is kind of what I'm used to I guess or most comfortable doing,” Cauley said. “It's been a slow progression all year of making piecing my game together and making little improvements, and things are starting to come together.”

Regardless, of where everyone is in their careers, the final round of the Sanderson Farms Championship is set to be chock-full of drama. There have been two playoffs in a row at The Country Club of Jackson – and three out of the last five events have been settled in extra holes.

It'll come down to the wire Sunday, certainly. But Mitchell is ready. He’s got a game that’s tight and some mental freedom to know exactly what to, and not to do in a Sunday finale.

“I would say tomorrow is a completely new day. It's Sunday. Last group. Been there before and failed a bunch on Sundays in the last group or even close,” Mitchell said. “I'm hoping I can learn from those mistakes, learn from when I get those feels […] like what I did wrong then and not to let them happen again.”