Huskey on verge of runaway win at South Carolina Amateur Championship

Another day, another round in the 60s Saturday, and Keenan Huskey threatened to turn Sunday’s final round in the 84th South Carolina Amateur Championship into an 18-hole victory lap.

Playing in his home town, Huskey fashioned a 4-under-par 68 Saturday and his three-round total of 13-under-par 203 leads his closest pursuer, Lee Palms, by six strokes at Greenville Country Club’s 6,774-yard, par-72 Chanticleer Course.

A rising sophomore on the University of South Carolina golf team, Huskey continued his domination of the par-5s Saturday. His eagle on the 17th hole left him at 10-under-par on the par-5 holes.

Palms, the Greenville Country Club champion who won the 2008 State Amateur, started the third round five strokes back, but he pulled within three with a birdie on No. 13. Palms bogeyed the 14th, then Huskey’s eagle on the 17th stretched his advantage to six.

Palms posted a five-birdie, two-bogey 69 Saturday and holds second at 7-under-par 209. Thomas Todd III, who lost the Greenville club championship to Palms in a playoff, is third at 5-under 211. Caleb Proveaux, a USC commitment who will be a senior at Gilbert High this year and has qualified for the U.S. Amateur later this month, shot 68 Saturday and is fourth at 212.

Other players under par include 2013 State Amateur champion Carson Young (Pendleton/Clemson) at 213, Stephen Behr (Florence/Clemson) at 214 and Julian Keur (Summerville/Charleston Southern) at 215. Austin Langdale (Townville/Clemson) is at even par 216.

Huskey, who played in three tournaments in his freshman season with the Gamecocks, stood at 2-under-par when darkness halted the weather-plagued first round Thursday. He added two more birdies in completing the round Friday morning, then shot 5-under 67 in the second round to establish a five-stroke advantage.

He responded to a double bogey on his 17th hole (No. 8) on Friday by closing his round with a birdie. In the same way Saturday, he answered Palms’ challenge with his eagle on No. 17.

Huskey strives to continue the domination of the state’s premier amateur tournament by players of college age or younger. Palms, who won the title in 2008, is the only mid-amateur to earn the title since 1997.

The final round over the Robert Trent Jones Sr. layout begins at 8 a.m. Sunday off both the first and 10th tees.