Players Championship 2012 Leaderboard: Kevin Na Will Blow Lead on Sunday

Kevin Na has the lead heading into Sunday, but the competition will be too much for him to hold off. Specifically, Rickie Fowler is primed to take another step towards becoming an elite golfer.

Na has been very consistent with scores of 67, 69 and 68 through three days, and that is why he's 12-under par, but Fowler's play has been on the upswing. That upward trend reached its highest point Saturday when the 23-year-old put up a 66.

Were it not for a bogey on 18, he would have shot the best round of the tournament this year. Fowler is three strokes back at nine-under par.

Fowler's scores have improved every day of the tournament. He has gone from a 72 on Thursday, to a 68 on Friday and finally a 66 on Saturday. He is playing extremely well overall, but there is one statistic that stands out to me.

It is his GIR (greens in regulation) percentage.

Fowler's GIR is just under 80 percent, while Na's is 68.5.

Here's why that stat is key on this course: Four of the last eight winners of this tournament have led the field in GIR. As of now, Fowler holds that spot with his 79.6 percentage.

This means he's getting to the greens to create birdie opportunities, and his 1.7 putts per green means he's converting them. With his play improving, I expect that advantage to widen. 

Na hasn't exactly compiled an impressive history of victories in his 11-year career. The 28-year-old has only one PGA Tour victory, and that came in October at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open—yeah, that huge deal.

He has played well through three days, but with the competition bearing down on him today, I expect him to be surpassed and fall to fifth or sixth by tournament's end.

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