Keith Mitchell

Mitchell, whose clubs were stolen out of his car two weeks ago, cobbled together an assortment of clubs borrowed from several UGA teammates and used team golf bag he found in the Georgia locker room that English had used before turning pro last year. Harris won the Southern Am last July at Innisbrook Resort near Tampa, then turned pro and is having a good first year on the PGA Tour. His bag, however, with his name in large letters, could win the Southern Am back-to-back if Mitchell keeps up the play that has led to an 8-under total of 136.

“I told Harris I was using his bag before he headed over to England last week (for the British Open) and he said he hoped it would bring me luck,” mused Mitchell, a Chattanooga native. “Winning this would be big. This is one of the truly premier amateur events,” he said.

Two shots off the pace at 138 is recent Central Florida grad Brad Schneider and N.C. State rising senior Hunter Howell. The inspirational little (5’6”, 140 lbs) Schneider of Valrico, FL, won the David Toms Award this year after overcoming a shattered femur, complications from surgery and spending four months in a hospital bed before gradually walking and successfully returning to competitive golf. Howell raced off to five straight birdies Thursday en route to the day’s low round of 67.

World No. 11 ranked amateur Bobby Wyatt of Mobile, AL, moved into contention and is 5-under with one hole to play. The field will be cut for the final two rounds Friday and Saturday.