Langdale, Rainey neck-and-neck entering Rice Planters final round

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. — First and second round leader William Rainey of College of Charleston will enter the final round of the Rice Planters Amateur joined by Clemson junior Austin Langdale as the pair shares a three-shot lead at Snee Farm Country Club. Rainey, of Charlotte, N.C., began the day at 13-under and moved to 15 with birdies at holes 4 and 6. By hole 13, he was back at 13 but a late-round charge that included three birdies in his last four holes allowed Rainey to post 69 in round three and get to 16-under. Langdale, the 2014 Azalea Invitational winner from Townville, S.C., was streaky on Thursday, but remained more consistent on Friday. Thursday, when he fired 65, he began with three straight birdies, mellowed out by going one-over his next eight holes, and finished with a flurry. He made five consecutive birdies on holes 12 through 16 to enter the third round two back of Rainey. His third round was bogey-free, and was dotted throughout the round with five birdies as Langdale carded 67 to join Rainey at the top of the leaderboard. The lowest round of the day went to recent South Carolina Match Play winner Andrew Novak, who despite a bogey on 17, his only blemish of the day, went two lower than anyone on Friday with a 65. He is three back in third place and one clear of first-round co-leader Will Long in fourth.