Brightwell will carry a three shot lead into the final round at Snee Farm Country Club over second round co-leader Garrett Wood who is in second place at 9-under.
Just 1-under for the day after a bogey on the 12th, Brightwell caught fire down the stretch playing the final six holes in 3-under. The UNC Greensboro rising junior started his run with a birdie on the 13th and then added another on the 15th before eagling the par-5 16th to reach 13-under for the tournament. Brightwell's momentum was quickly halted with a double-bogey on the par-3 17th only to get a shot back with a closing hole birdie.
In total Brightwell's scorecard included six birdies, an eagle, two bogeys and a double.
Wood did well to keep himself in the tournament. A sophomore to be at Xavier, Wood triple-bogeyed the par-5 2nd but played the rest of his round in 4-under, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 13th.
Davis Lamb of Notre Dame remained in third at 7-under while Gen Nagai of Seton Hall, Jack Murdoch and NC State's William Holcomb V share fourth at 5-under.
With 36-holes in the books at the Rice Planters Amateur the lead sits at 8-under and it is being shared by Jonathan Brightwell and Garrett Wood.
For the second straight day Brightwell, a rising junior at UNC Greensboro, carded a 4-under 68 at Snee Farm Country Club. On Thursday his round was highlighted by his strong closing stretch of two birdies in the final three holes. After a birdie on the 2nd, Birghtwell carded his lone bogey of the round on the ensuing hole only to bounce back with 6th and 9th hole birdies.
Xavier sophomore to be Garrett Wood shot a 4-under 68 for a second straight day as well to earn his share of the lead. Wood, an All-Big East First Teamer, birdied four in a row to start his day then cooled off a bit with two bogeys late on the front nine to turn in 2-under 34. Looking to regain momentum late in the day Wood birdied the 15th and 16th holes before ending his round with a pair of pars.