Memorial Tournament 2013: Day 3 Leaderboard Analysis, Highlights and More

Matt Kuchar endured a difficult third day at the Memorial Tournament, posting a two-under 70 in Round 3 to get to minus-eight through 54 holes. It resulted in a two-shot lead over Kevin Chappell and Kyle Stanley.

Three weather delays pushed back part of the second round at the Jack Nicklaus-hosted event to Saturday, which got under way at 7:30 a.m. ET (h/t Golf Channel). Despite the rain Muirfield Village Golf Club absorbed, scoring conditions got even more difficult amidst the windiness.

The steady, consistent game of Kuchar allowed him to rise to the top, while many other world-class players—including top-ranked players Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy—continued to go the wrong way on the leaderboard.

Below is a look at the top contenders entering Sunday's final round in Dublin, Ohio. For complete scores, head over to PGA.com.

Pos.	Player	Scores	Total
1	Matt Kuchar	68-70-70	-8
T2	Kevin Chappell	71-71-68	-6
T2	Kyle Stanley	67-70-73	-6
T4	Justin Rose	70-70-71	-5
T4	Matt Jones	69-72-70	-5
T4	Bill Haas	68-67-76	-5
T7	J.J. Henry	72-72-68	-4
T7	Adam Scott	73-70-69	-4
T7	Charl Schwartzel	65-71-76	-4
T7	Scott Piercy	66-75-71	-4

Note: All statistics, videos and other information, unless otherwise indicated, are courtesy of PGATour.com.

Kuchar may have a one-plane swing that isn't exactly aesthetically pleasing, but he continues to show why he remains among the top players on the planet. He carded five birdies during his round, the last of which came on this slick mid-range putt at the par-four 14th:

The rest of the round was a struggle, and it included a dropped shot at the subsequent par five. However, the perpetually grinding Kuchar salvaged par at the final three holes to maintain his advantage.

A runner-up finish at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Kuchar's last outing is carrying over to Dublin, to say the least.

Saturday's 70 marked Kuchar's eighth consecutive round under par, and he has a great chance to not only notch his fifth straight Memorial top 10 (h/t ESPN's Justin Ray), but also to win.

Ball-striking proved to be especially difficult in the arduous weather, and that was no exception for Kuchar's closest competitors. While Kuchar hit 13 of 18 greens, Stanley hit just half of putting surfaces in regulation, while Chappell managed only one better.

That's what makes Chappell's round that much more impressive. Regarded for the past few years as a premier American talent, he has yet to translate his ability into a PGA Tour victory.

Chappell, who matched J.J. Henry for the lowest third-round score, is best known for finishing tied for third at the 2011 U.S. Open, but that could very well change if he keeps this up.

Meanwhile, one of the best shots of the day has to go to Stanley, when he hit it essentially to gimme range to eagle the par-five 11th:

Let's take a look at some of the other big storylines to watch for as the final 18 holes unfold.

Tiger Woods Posts Worst Nine-Hole Score of Career

It was shocking enough that the five-time Memorial winner was so far out of the hunt after two rounds. What no one saw coming was the collapse Woods experienced on his very next nine holes.

PGA Tour Media's official Twitter page showcased just how much Woods struggled:

Beginning on the back side, Woods failed to notch a birdie and made double bogeys at Nos. 12 and 15—his second consecutive score of seven on the latter hole, a par five.

Golf Channel's Jason Sobel made a very strange but fitting analogy regarding the stunning development:

A triple bogey at No. 18 followed when an ill-fated attempt to flop his third shot onto the par four rolled down the false front and back to his feet. He proceeded to three-putt after pulling it off on the second attempt:

Although Woods recovered with three birdies on the first five holes of his next nine, he dropped shots at the par-four sixth and ninth holes to card a horrendous 79.

The intense focus that Woods is so legendary for appeared absent, as he routinely hit putts far too firmly and managed to find just nine out of 18 greens in regulation. Never before had Woods entered this tournament having won four times in the current season, which makes it all the more perplexing.

By comparison, Rory McIlroy's 75 doesn't look so bad, though the Northern Irishman continues to seek the form that made him such a dominant force last season.

While he's maintained a score of minus-three on the course's front nine, the back nine has given Woods significant problems this week:

It will be interesting to see how Woods fares on the final day, because this is his last scheduled tuneup before the U.S. Open.

Big-Name Contenders Fall in Round 3

2011 FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas went from holding a three-stroke lead at the end of the second round to falling behind by four after a 76.

Haas took a woeful 36 putts and continues to struggle in the middle part of the season after beginning with four top-10s in his first eight starts. The big problem, as was the case on Saturday, has been on the greens, where Haas ranks 142nd on Tour in total putting.

A birdie at No. 5 gave Charl Schwartzel the early lead, and he took advantage of the next par five, No. 7, by birdieing there, too:

Unfortunately, Schwartzel bogeyed three of the next four holes, made double at No. 13 and bogeyed the 15th, squandering his early momentum to finish at minus-four overall.

Fellow Masters champion Bubba Watson had a rough go of it as well.

Watson was six-under to start the second half of the tournament, but he managed only a three-over 75. If not for consecutive birdies at Nos. 16 and 17, the damage would have been even worse.

All three still have a shot to come away with the victory, but they have their work cut out for them on Sunday.

Improved Putting Keeps Justin Rose Close

Credit the fourth-ranked player in the world for hanging tough all season long. Rose possesses uncommon resilience, which has helped him rise this high in the rankings.

Nevertheless, his patience has been tested by horrendous putting throughout the 2013 campaign. TaylorMade Golf pointed out how Rose had a new flatstick in the bag at the Memorial this week:

That switch didn't pay dividends initially, but his discouraging showing on the greens was at least temporarily reversed on the back nine of his third round on Saturday.

Birdies at three of his final seven holes got Rose back in the hunt, as he sits just three strokes off the pace entering the final day.

Rose was sparked by this magnificent birdie on the par-three 12th hole, where he didn't even need the putter from just off the surface:

The numbers for the tournament overall still aren't pretty for the 2010 champion at this venue, as he ranks just 64th in the field in putts per green in regulation. However, he finally began capitalizing down the stretch in Round 3 and capped it off by draining a sweet par save on No. 18.

Should he continue rolling the rock better, it would not be surprising to see Rose wind up with his second Memorial title in four years.