Canada's Stephen Ames carries 3-shot lead into final round of Mitsubishi Electric Classic

Stephen Ames followed up a first-round 65 with an even more impressive 8-under-par 64 on Saturday to grab a three-shot lead at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in Duluth, Ga.

The 59-year-old from Vancouver finished his day with a sizzle, recording three birdies over four holes before polishing off his card with an eagle on 18. That completed a 31 on the back nine, which included plenty of fast greens.

"Yesterday I actually hit a good drive [on 18]," Ames said. "It was probably about maybe 20 feet left of where I should have hit it, hit the hill and didn't quite get all the way down, but it's just amazing if you get all the way down there.

"And today I hit it on the proper line, which is a little further right. I actually stood up there and I'm like, wait, 141 front? It was unusual because, yeah, you never hit 9-irons into a par-5. And I hit a great second shot there to get it. I was a little in between yardages and I had to stand on the 9-iron to get it because it was actually 148 yards, but it worked out perfectly."

"I don't mind [playing with a lead], it is what it is," Ames said. "At the end of the day, it's still you that you're battling, you and your thoughts and your feelings and your emotions. That's basically at the end of the day what I have to control, and right now I've been doing a very good job of it, and I'm going to continue doing the same thing tomorrow."

WATCH | Ames holds lead entering final round:

Three golfers are within five strokes of the lead. At the top of that group sits Ken Tanigawa at 12 under. His round, a 6-under 66, included a bogey on No. 2 and a double-bogey on No. 7. Those were more than counterbalanced by seven birdies and an Ames-matching eagle on 18.

"Well, it makes dinner taste