Bateman and Salinda come in as leaders in the final round

Canada’s Wil Bateman carded a 64, (-6-under-par 70) this Saturday, the best round ever at the Panama Championship, to move into a tie for the lead in this third event of the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season.

With a total of 203 shots (-7) under par, Bateman tied for the top spot in the three-day competition with American Isaiah Salind, who shot a 68, or (-2) under par, and remained in the joint lead shared with three other players at the start of the day with little wind and high heat at the Panama Golf Club.

They are just one stroke ahead of American Brandon Harkins, who shot 67 on Saturday to improve his total to (-6) under par and move into third place. Americans Trey Winstead and Ryan Gerard share the fourth position with (-5) under par.

Argentina’s Augusto Núñez, who led through the first 36 holes, had a busy day with three bogeys and two birdies for a 71 that left him at (-4) under par. The tournament’s top Latin American will enter the final round tied for sixth place, three strokes off the lead.

There are two other Latin Americans in the top 15, with Chile’s Cristóbal Del Solar in eleventh place with a (-3-under par) total and Mexico’s Isidro Benítez in fifteenth place with (-2-under par). This Saturday, Benítez posted a card of 68, (-2) under par that proved to be the best of the ten Latin Americans who made the cut.

The only other score in the sixties among players in the region was a 69 by Argentina’s Nelson Ledesma, now tied for 24th with Mexico’s Emilio González.

Meanwhile, Omar Tejeira, the amateur representing Panama and the first amateur to pass the tournament, shot a +3 (73 shots) and a total of 215 shots (+5) this Saturday.

This Sunday, the 70 players still in the running will come out to play the final round at No. 1 in two. The final group, with co-hosts Bateman and Salinda, will hit from 12:35 local time.