MIAMI (AFP) — Keith Mitchell fired a sensational eagle on the final hole to grab a two-shot lead after the third round of the PGA Valspar Championship on Saturday.

Mitchell, who is chasing only his second career title after a 2019 win at the Honda Classic, drilled a superb iron from the fairway from around 150 yards into the hole for an eagle two on the par-four 18th.

That was the final act of a barnstorming finish by the 32-year-old journeyman, who also collected birdies on the 16th and 17th holes to go vaulting up the leaderboard.

Mitchell's eagle on the last completed a five-under-par round of 66, leaving him alone at the top of the leaderboard on 10 under after 54 holes at Innisbrook's Copperhead course in Palm Harbor, Florida.

Three players — Ireland's Seamus Power, Canada's Mackenzie Hughes and Peter Malnati — are lurking two shots off the lead on eight under.

Mitchell's closing eagle came as a surprise to the world No.72, who got something in his eye after making the shot and didn't see the ball land.

"When I looked up something kind of flew in my eye, so I kind of looked away and never saw it come down and land, but I knew when I hit it, I was pleased with the contact," Mitchell said.

"I wasn't going to be able to see it go in the hole anyway, but I didn't even see it come down next to the flag."

Mitchell's lone PGA Tour victory in 2019 came against a top-class field, with Brooks Koepka and Rickie Fowler finishing runners-up by one shot.

At the time, Mitchell believed that breakthrough win would be the first of many. Instead he has endured a five-year drought.

"I think I got my win early and felt like I could win more," Mitchell said. "Unfortunately, that's a really high expectation out here."

"Hopefully, I can continue to work on the right things, maybe even add some more stuff into my practice so that I can just put myself in contention more often."