BANDON, Ore. – Nothing came easy on Tuesday afternoon in strong winds at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, but Austin Hurt hung onto a share of the lead in the PGA Professional Championship. The head professional at Wing Point Golf & Country Club in Washington, Hurt had led the tournament each day since opening in 8-under 64 on the resort’s Bandon Dunes course Sunday.
Austin Hurt tees off on No. 17 during the third round of the PGA Professional Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort on April 28, 2026 in Bandon, Oregon.
Hurt shot 5-over 77 in the third round as strong breezes pummeled players, affecting every shot including putts. He was tied at 3-under overall with Charlie Beljan, winner of the 2012 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic on the PGA Tour who now teaches at Torreon Golf Club in Arizona. Beljan managed a 2-over 74 in the third round at Bandon Dunes.
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“It was very hard all the way around,” Hurt said. “It started hard, and I faced adversity super early and tried to weather that through five holes. It was going bad and I really tried to keep my head on my shoulders and, I’ll say it again, take it one shot at a time. I’ve really been focusing on that all week. I was able to get through today even though it was a 77. It felt like one of the harder fought rounds that I’ve ever played.”
Both Hurt and Beljan struggled early with multiple bogeys as the wind continued to pick up. Hurt turned his day around a bit with birdies on Nos. 7 and 9, then added two more birdies on the back nine. Beljan found his spark with an eagle on the par-5 ninth and added a birdie on the par-4 10th to get his round back on track as he leaned on his PGA Tour experience.
“This was different, but I’m so proud of the way I hung in there today,” Beljan said. “There’s 18 more holes of golf. Anybody’s ballgame, especially out here, and especially if the wind blows like it does today. Anything can happen. So I’m excited for the challenge.”
The final round of the PGA Professional Championship is Wednesday, with live coverage on Golf Channel at 6-9 p.m. Eastern.
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Hurt and Beljan were in front of a threesome of players tied for third place at 2-under total. Ben Kern of South Bloomfield, Ohio, posted the round of the day on Bandon Dunes, a 5-under 67 that vaulted him up the leaderboard into the tie for third. He was joined by Derek Berg of Duvall, Washington (third-round 74) and Jesse Droemer of Houston (74).
The top 20 players after Wednesday’s final round qualify for the PGA Championship on May 14-17 at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania. If there is a tie for 20th place, there will be a playoff for the coveted spots in the major championship.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: It’s a tie at the top in PGA Professional Championship at Bandon Dunes
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