Scottish Open Leaderboard 2013: Breaking Down Top Contenders

Henrik Stenson made seven birdies and only one bogey en route to a six-under 66 in Round 3 of the Scottish Open at Inverness' Castle Stuart Golf Links on Saturday.

The strong Swede's 16-under total is good enough for a two-stroke lead over a quartet of players headlined by Phil Mickelson. Since consistency hasn't been Stenson's strong suit in recent years, it's feasible that Mickelson or any of the others just off the pace can seize victory in the final round.

However, some within striking distance bunched with Mickelson shouldn't be considered among the more formidable threats. JB Hansen has made only five cuts since December 9, and John Parry has just one top-10 finish in 2013.

Twenty-one players are within six shots of Stenson, but a couple in joint second have the game and gusto to catch him.

Below is an overview of the top contenders entering the last 18 holes, followed by a closer look at the chances of winning for Stenson, Mickelson and Branden Grace.

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

Pos	Golfer	RD 1	RD 2	RD 3	OVR
1	Henrik Stenson	70	64	66	-16
T-2	Phil Mickelson	66	70	66	-14
T-2	John Parry	64	72	66	-14
T-2	Braden Grace	71	65	66	-14
T-2	JB Hansen	68	65	69	-14
T-6	Gareth Maybin	69	70	64	-13
T-6	Raphael Jacquelin	68	70	65	-13
T-6	Peter Uihlein	67	66	70	-13

For complete results, visit EuropeanTour.com.

Henrik Stenson

Near the beginning of 2012, Stenson had slipped to No. 230 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

When he began regaining his form last season, it was reminiscent of the collapse he experienced before ascending to No. 5 in the world with a victory at the WGC-Match Play Championship in 2007.

Stenson was without a trophy thereafter until his triumph at the South African Open Championship, and on the strength of several other solid performances, he's now back among the world's elite at No. 32.

The roller-coaster career Stenson has experienced is befuddling, considering how long he hits the ball and how fantastic he can play at times. However, it's also a testament to how nothing is guaranteed in golf and how someone's game can be completely lost at the drop of a hat.

What makes Stenson vulnerable is that he has a couple of proven winners chasing him—and he's frequently been unable to seal the deal on Sundays.

It's impossible not to admire how well Stenson has stuck it out through his unique peaks and valleys, but it would not be surprising to see him let one slip away. In any event, he's, at least, showing good form entering the British Open next week.

The case in favor of Stenson: He's fired a four-under 32 on the back nine in each of the previous three rounds—all of which were bogey-free.

Phil Mickelson

If not for a couple of highly uncharacteristic three-putts during the early parts of the second round, Lefty could easily have a share of the lead. However, the World Golf Hall of Famer should like his chances playing alongside Stenson in the final pairing.

By being able to directly apply the pressure, it might not be more than a few holes before Mickelson matches or even overtakes the lead.

Mickelson's short game is what separates him from many of his world-class peers, but he's hit so many greens this week that he hasn't been in many spots of bother.

In those situations, though, his trademark touch has been evident, as Mickelson has converted nine out of 10 scrambling chances. After Mickelson registered 31 putts in each of the first two rounds, he needed a mere 26 on Saturday.

Links golf is typically not Mickelson's forte, but he's playing with a lot of confidence—clearly not at all rattled by last week's missed cut at the Greenbrier Classic.

Success at this event doesn't necessarily forecast greatness at the Open Championship for "Phil the Thrill," as Shane Bacon of Yahoo! Sports alludes to:

But getting competitive juices flowing before a major is something Mickelson is known for, and he's squarely in the hunt for yet another trophy. Considering how he's striping it and the marked improvement with the flatstick in the third round, Mickelson is going to be difficult to beat in Inverness.

Branden Grace

Among those within striking distance, South Africa's most recently rising young star is the most intriguing.

At the precocious age of 25, Grace has proven his worth as a winner, having emerged victorious in a whopping four tournaments last season.

The European Tour season has been a bit up and down for Grace, who notched three top-seven finishes in January, but then went to the PGA Tour, where he didn't fare so well. In nine events, he missed four cuts and didn't come close to the top 10.

When birdies are the objective, that is when Grace is at his best. Three of his four wins have consisted of winning under-par totals of minus-17, minus-21 and minus-22.

It will likely take a number in the 20s to get to the winner's circle again tomorrow. Grace hit 17 out of 18 greens in the third round, so if that type of precise ball-striking continues, he'll have a golden opportunity to post a low number ahead of the last group and apply pressure in that way.

Grace has seemed locked in from the start at this event, evidenced by his near hole-in-one at No. 3 on Thursday—a par-four:

The video title may suggest a failure, but Grace still went on to eagle the hole.

Winning so much at a young age suggests that Grace might eventually ascend to superstardom. He can take one more step in that direction by lighting it up one more time at the Scottish Open.