FedEx St. Jude Championship 2024: 3 Instant Reactions to Saturday Leaderboard Scores

Three rounds of the 2024 St. Jude Championship are in the books.

The first tournament of the FedEx Cup Playoffs will see the field for next week's BMW Championship whittled down to 50.

ere is where the current leaderboard sits entering Sunday's final round:

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1. Hideki Matsuyama, -17

2. Nick Dunlap, -12

3. Viktor Hovland, -11

T4. Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns, -10

T6. Will Zalatoris and Denny McCarthy, -9

8. Xander Schauffele, -8

T9. Seamus Power, Akshay Bhatia, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tony Finau, Robert MacIntyre, Billy Horschel and Justin Rose, -7.

Full Leaderboard available at PGATour.com.

Hideki Matsuyama Grabs Big Lead

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MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 17: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan plays his shot from the seventh tee during the third round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind on August 17, 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

This tournament is Hideki Matsuyama's to lose.

The 32-year-old holds a five-stroke lead over the field and put together another strong performance on Saturday with a 64.

He poured in five birdies and also added an eagle on the third hole.

Friday's performance came after he carded another 64 on Friday and a 65 during Thursday's opening round. While he still needs to keep it rolling to claim a win, he has plenty of wiggle room moving forward.

The 2024 Olympic bronze medalist entered the tournament ranked No. 8 in the FedEx Cup Standings and a win at St. Jude would push him further up the leaderboard. While there is plenty of talent at the top, his strong play in Memphis should make him an intriguing candidate to win the FedEx Cup.

Nick Dunlap and Viktor Hovland Looking to Avoid Elimination

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MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 17: Nick Dunlap of the United States plays his shot from the seventh tee during the third round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind on August 17, 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Viktor Hovland won the FedEx Cup a year ago but entered the St. Jude Championship fighting to stay afloat in the standings.

He came in at No. 57, which meant that he needed a significant push up the leaderboard to make the Top 50 and extend his season. Nick Dunlap was in an even more difficult position, as he entered at No. 68.

Right now, it looks like both golfers will be making the trip to Colorado. Dunlap currently sits in solo second place and Hovland is right behind him in third.

Dunlap shot a 66 on Saturday, with five birdies and one bogey dictating the score.

Hovland also shot a 66 on Saturday, following a 63 on Friday and a 70 on Thursday. He played a bogey-free round with four birdies on moving day.

Jordan Spieth Needs a Miracle

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MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 16: Jordan Spieth of the United States plays his shot from the seventh tee during the second round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind on August 16, 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

It's been a tough weekend for Jordan Spieth.

The 2015 FedEx Cup Champion entered the St. Jude Championship at No. 64 and needed a similar push to Hovland and Dunlap to stay relevant. Unlike those two, he hasn't helped his case.

He shot a respectable 68 on Thursday, but a 75 on Friday pushed him down the leaderboard. He barely improved his standing during Saturday's third round, shooting a 74. He now sits four shots clear of Max Homa, who is in last place at 11 over.

Spieth will need to summon some serious magic on Sunday if he wants to have any chance of advancing to the BMW Championship.