Davis Thompson delivered an exceptional performance in the third round of the PGA Tour John Deere Classic, shooting a flawless nine-under par 62 to take a commanding two-stroke lead with a total score of 21-under 192. His round included birdies on five of the first eight holes and four more in the final seven, matching his lowest PGA Tour round at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.

Reflecting on his game, Thompson expressed confidence in his tee shots, which allowed him to free up his iron play and consistently hit greens. He said, "I feel like I'm hitting the shots I want off the tee, which is just freeing up my iron game and helping me hit a lot of greens and get a lot of good looks. They have been going in this week so hopefully we can keep that going."

In second place at 194 are England's Aaron Rai, who carded a 66, and American Eric Cole, who posted a 64. Taiwan's C.T. Pan, the bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, and American Hayden Springer, who shot a remarkable 59 on Thursday, share fourth place at 196 with amateur Luke Clanton, and fellow Americans JJ Spaun and Michael Thorbjornsen.

Looking ahead to the final round, Thompson acknowledged the strong competition behind him, stating, "The guys behind me are playing really well. I know it's going to be tough to finish off a golf tournament but I've done it before and I've just got to stay present-minded and just try and execute good golf shots."

This season marks Thompson's second campaign on the PGA Tour, with three runner-up finishes, including last week in Detroit, in May at Myrtle Beach, and last year in the California desert.

Both Rai and Cole are chasing their first PGA Tour titles. Rai had a share of the 54-hole lead last week in Detroit but couldn't convert it into a victory. Cole, last season's PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, is also aiming for his maiden tour title.

Thompson's round was highlighted by a strong start with birdies on five of the first eight holes, including a crucial 15-foot birdie putt on the eighth to reach 17-under. He continued his momentum with birdies at the first and fifth holes, sinking a 24-foot putt on the first and holing out from 34 feet in a bunker on the fifth.

His impressive stretch included three consecutive birdies starting from the 12th hole, with a nearly perfect approach shot that nearly went in, a 15-foot birdie putt on the 13th, and a tap-in birdie on the 14th to reach 20-under. Thompson closed out with a birdie putt from nine feet on the par-5 17th and finished with a par on the last hole.

Luke Clanton, the amateur in contention, reflected on his position in the tournament, saying, "It's hard to even think about it. It's pretty surreal. Play a good round tomorrow and maybe something cool could happen."