After firing a 65 in Wednesday’s first round of the Drex Guthrie Classic, Scott Strohmeyer felt someone would go lower.

He was right.

Strohmeyer backed up his solid first round, with a 64 on Thursday and take a three-stroke lead to Friday’s final round.

Strohmeyer’s started hot in the second round, picking up where he left on Wednesday. He played his final 12 holes of the first round seven-under-par.

“I started the round off really, really well,” Strohmeyer said of Thursday’s 64. “I was able to get some putts to fall early, and then just played sort of solid on the back nine. I didn’t make as many on the back as I did on the front, but was able to make enough to just kind of cruise.”

Strohmeyer is three shots clear of David Miller, four ahead of Michael Arnaud and five strokes in front of Brandon Godwin and the Emerald Cost Tour’s leading money winner Glenn Northcutt.

The pin location for the final round will require players to have more accuracy with their second and third shots in order to find the green in a safe spot.

Strohmeyer said the holes were more “accessible” the first two days of the tournament, but Friday’s final round placement will be more challenging.

“They are tucked away a little more for the last round,” said Strohmeyer. “You will have to think a little more off the tee and on the approach because there is a little more room to make a mistake.”

Despite the more-difficult hole locations, Strohmeyer is well aware of the fact Troy Country Club has been the sight of a few extremely low rounds.

“Someone can always get hot here and rip off a round of 61 or 62,” Strohmeyer said. “I can’t just go out and put it on cruise control. If I can go four or five under, then I like my chances.”

The final round of the 2014 Drex Guthrie classic tees off at 9:30 a.m. at the Troy Country Club.