HSBC Champions 2015: Saturday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights
Kevin Kisner holds a one-shot lead at the top of the leaderboard over a trio of players after Saturday's HSBC Champions 2015 action in Shanghai, China.
Kisner barely maintained his lead after a round of two-under 70, which took him to 16-under for the event. Dustin Johnson, Russell Knox and Li Haotong are right on his tail, while PGA Tour Player of the Year Jordan Spieth is also in contention after a superb nine-under 63 round.
Here's a look at the leaderboard after Saturday's action:
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| 1 | Kevin Kisner | -16 | 70 |
| T2 | Dustin Johnson | -15 | 65 |
| T2 | Li Haotong | -15 | 66 |
| T2 | Russell Knox | -15 | / |
| T5 | Jordan Spieth | -13 | 63 |
| T5 | Ross Fisher | -13 | 65 |
| T5 | Patrick Reed | -13 | 68 |
| T8 | Thorbjorn Olesen | -12 | 66 |
| T8 | Scott Hend | -12 | 67 |
| T8 | Branden Grace | -12 | 70 |
Recap
Kisner's short game really let him down on Saturday. It saw the leader suffer his first two bogeys of the tournament, but back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th holes mean the 31-year-old maintains a one-shot lead heading into the final round.
Kisner's putting is what led him to the top of the leaderboard, but as shared by the European Tour's official Twitter account, he had to find a different answer on Saturday:
Johnson joined Li and Knox in second place with a fantastic round of seven-under, which saw him pick up no fewer than five birdies on the front nine. Knox will have the chance to close the gap with Kisner before the final round even begins, as he couldn't finish the 18th hole in time because of the fading light.
Spieth was nothing short of sensational, putting himself in position to win the tournament with a fantastic round of nine-under. Before the start of the day, the European Tour's official Twitter account reminded fans no one has managed to come back from a 10-shot deficit after two rounds.
Apparently, someone forgot to tell the youngster.
The PGA Tour Player of the Year was flawless, hitting four birdies on the front nine and adding five more on the back nine. His short game was on point all day, but Spieth really impressed with his approach play on Saturday. Just take a look at this shot on the 15th, courtesy of the PGA Tour's official Twitter account:
Spieth struggled on Friday, but the multiple delays because of the weather on Saturday seemed to help him rediscover his focus. The 22-year-old always seems to do his best work in difficult situations, and his third round was a further indication of that.
With putts such as this, he has given himself a strong chance heading into the final day of action:
Per Sky Sports, Spieth still believes in his chances to win the tournament;
"You almost feel that [at 10 shots back] you're out of the tournament and almost feel like you're playing the golf course for yourself.
I want my attitude to stay the same as today, so even though I feel now involved I need to almost approach the round like I'm just playing the golf course.
I can build on this year with a swing that was certainly capable today, and if those putts go this could be mine tomorrow.
"
Li gave the home fans plenty more reasons to celebrate with a round of six-under, which gave him a share of second place and put him within a single shot of the lead.
The 20-year-old has been the ultimate Cinderella story so far, as evidenced by this stat from the PGA Tour:
Rory McIlroy found himself in a similar situation to Spieth after two days, and while he managed to bounce back with a solid round of four-under on Saturday, the Race to Dubai leader is eight shots off the lead and unlikely to challenge for this year's HSBC Champions title.
His preparation for the tournament took a big hit because of a case of food poisoning, per MailOnline's Derek Lawrenson, and the Northern Irishman has looked off his game all week. He looked a little better playing off the tee on Saturday, but his short game was still shaky, as he needed 32 putts to complete his round.
Ross Fisher and Thorbjorn Olesen were among the biggest movers, playing rounds of seven-under and six-under, respectively. Branden Grace needed a late comeback to maintain his spot in the top 10, and he'll need a huge round on Sunday to have any chance of winning the tournament.
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