Andrew Putnam matched the best round of his short PGA Tour career with a 6-under-par 64 and tied Dustin Johnson atop the St. Jude Classic on Saturday in Nashville.

In position to reclaim the No. 1 ranking with a victory, Johnson had a 65 to match Putnam at 15-under 195.

A two-time winner on the Web.com Tour, Putnam birdied No. 18 to tie Johnson once again after a bogey-free round. Now he will play in the last group on the final day for the first time on the PGA Tour, with Johnson.

‘‘It’s going to feel a little different than the typical Sunday round of golf, but I'm excited for it,’’ Putnam said. ‘‘I've earned my way here and I feel like it’s going to be a fun day. See what happens.’’

Five strokes behind in second place is Stewart Cink, who had a hole-in-one on No. 8 and matched his low round of the year with a 64 to get to 10 under. Ricky Werenski got to 10 under but bogeyed No. 18 to finish with a 68. He was tied with Bryan Wesley (69) at 9 under. Brandt Snedeker (70) was at 7 under.

Johnson and Putnam, a 29-year-old from Washington with a pair of Top 10s this year on tour, quickly turned the third round at TPC Southwind into a two-man race.

Playing in the final group, Johnson opened with a birdie after hitting his approach to 6 feet on No. 1. Putnam, a group ahead, birdied three of his first four holes and took the lead by himself briefly at 12 under after rolling in from 31 feet for birdie on No. 5.

A tee shot way left on the par-5 No. 3 cost Johnson a penalty and a drop making par the best he could do. Johnson tied Putnam with a birdie on No. 5. But the man trying to get back to No. 1 before going to the US Open bogeyed No. 9 after hitting his tee shot into the right rough and two-putting from 14 feet.

Johnson rebounded with a birdie on No. 10 hitting his second from 152 yards to 8 feet and tied Putnam again. Putnam rolled in a 22-footer for birdie on No. 12 to reach 13 under only to see Johnson sink an 8-footer for birdie on No. 13 to tie him up again.

Looking for a victory before going to Shinnecock Hills, Johnson birdied No. 13. On No. 15, he hit his approach 130 yards to within 4 feet for birdie and birdied the par-5 No. 16 after hitting out of the bunker to 5 feet to become the first to reach 15 under.

Putnam rolled in from 17 feet to wrap up his round with a share of the lead, and Johnson could only settle for a two-putt for par.

Cink, who last won The Open Championship in 2009, missed the cut at both the Players Championship and Memorial last week. He took advantage of the par 3s with two birdies and his hole-in-one to keep close to Johnson and Putnam.

‘‘It can be a little bit of a shock when it happens and suddenly you find yourself right up there in the mix and you've got to reset yourself,’’ Cink said of his hole-in-one. ‘‘But I did a really good job the rest of the way and I'm proud of that, and I look forward to tomorrow.’’

Champions — Tom Lehman shot a 7-under 65 to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines.

Lehman eagled the par-5 eighth and played a 10-hole stretch in 7 under before dropping a stroke on the par-4 18th. He had a 13-under 131 total, the best two-round score at Wakonda­ Club.

First-round leader Bernhard Langer had a 69 to fall into a tie for second with Glen Day (68), Woody Austin (68) and Scott Parel (66).

Lehman, who has never finished lower than eighth at Wakonda Club, picked up birdies on three consecutive holes — a par 4, par 5 and par 3, respectively — on the back nine to jump out in front.

But Lehman may wind up regretting his final hole, the only green he failed to reach in regulation.

Poised to match the course record of 63 set by Billy Andrade two years ago, Lehman instead put his approach over the green before missing a makeable par putt.

LPGA — Sei Young Kim birdied seven of her last 10 holes for a share of the lead with Celine Herbin in the suspended second round of the ShopRite LPGA in Galloway, N.J. Kim was 10 under for the tournament with three holes left when play was suspended because of darkness.

Curtis Cup — University of Alabama star Kristen Gillman won two more matches and the United States opened a 9-3 lead over Great Britain and Ireland in Scarsdale, N.Y. Gillman helped the Americans move within 1½ points of regaining the cup they lost in 2016.