Takumi Kanaya, this year’s top money winner on the Japanese professional men’s golf tour, is in contention for a U.S. PGA Tour card after moving up to third in the penultimate round of the final qualifying tournament on Saturday.

The top five and ties at the PGA Tour Q-School Final Stage will earn automatic promotion to the world’s most prestigious golf tour.

Starting the third round at TPC Sawgrass in fourth place, Kanaya shot a 2-under 68 with two birdies and no bogeys to go to 4-under for the tournament.

The 26-year-old Hiroshima Prefecture native heads into the final day two strokes back from the joint leaders, Americans Matthew Riedel and Alistair Docherty, and holds a one-shot lead over four players tied for fourth.

“I’m glad I could shoot a bogey-free round,” Kanaya said. “It would be good if I can play the final day the same as I would in Japan or anywhere else. I want to prepare well and keep playing my own game.”

Kanaya clinched his first JGTO money title earlier this month at the Japan tour’s season-ending Nihon Series JT Cup.

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