Stephan Jaeger leads by three at Visit Knoxville Open, eyes third win of the season

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Stephan Jaeger carded a 5-under 65 Saturday and extended his lead to three strokes at the Visit Knoxville Open as he pursues his third win of the season and an immediate promotion to the PGA TOUR. Greyson Sigg matched Jaeger with a third-round 65 and is 16-under entering Sunday’s final round at Holston Hills Country Club.

Jaeger has attacked this week’s Donald Ross test with accurate iron play (43 of 54 GIR, T9 in the field) and precise work around the greens (1.581 putts per GIR, 2nd in the field). An up-and-down birdie on the par-5 18th added to his lead, but it also served as a reminder about the potential perils on Holston Hills’ greens.

“It was a really easy bunker shot and I left it in the worst possible spot above the hole,” Jaeger said. “I would rather have 10 feet up the hill than a five-footer down the hill on a green like that. That’s a good example of you’ve got to leave yourself the easier putts, the uphillers, rather than a downhiller that’s going to break, even if it’s shorter. I got away with that one, but I’ve got to do a better job on that tomorrow.”

Mistakes like that have not showed up on the scorecard, as Jaeger has 28 one-putts and zero three-putts, and he has only made one bogey through 54 holes.

A UT-Chattanooga alum and Chattanooga resident, Jaeger has eight top-10s and two wins during this 2020-21 combined season. With a victory, he would become the 12th player to earn the three-win promotion to the PGA TOUR and first since 2016 (Wesley Bryan), and he would tie Jason Gore for the most wins in Korn Ferry Tour history (7).

“I’m still nervous. I hope that never goes away because it’s fun, but I’m comfortable with my game and I’m hitting my driver good and I’m putting well, and that’s a good combo on a golf course like this,” said Jaeger, who is No. 1 in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings. “I’m really excited to play with Greyson (Sigg) tomorrow, we’re good buddies so we’re going to have a good time.”

Sigg opened with a course-record 61 on Thursday and remains in position for his first victory after rounds of 68-65. The University of Georgia product will play in Sunday’s final group for the second time in his career and first since the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance, where he was the 54-hole leader before eventually finishing runner-up.

The penultimate group will feature Harrison Endycott and Kyle Reifers, who are tied for third at 14-under. Final-round tee times will run from 7 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. on Sunday off the first tee.

This week marks the 31st edition of the Visit Knoxville Open, one of four tournaments from the original season in 1990 that remain on the Tour’s schedule.