Farmers Insurance Open 2016: Saturday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights

More changes took place on the leaderboard following Saturday's third round of the Farmers Insurance Open, with Scott Brown and K.J. Choi tied for the top spot with a 54-hole score of nine under par. 

Things are still crowded, however, with 14 players going into Sunday's final round at Torrey Pines within three shots of Brown and Choi. 

Here's the full leaderboard after three rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open:

Brown has quietly put himself in position to win on Sunday. He came out of the gates on fire, shooting a 66 on Thursday, slowed down with a 71 on Friday and posted a solid 70 on Saturday. 

The eighth hole was when Brown made his big move with this excellent tee shot, which he followed with a birdie putt that pushed him into a tie for the lead:

He kept the momentum going with a birdie on the 10th hole but gave a shot back on the 11th before hitting another birdie on the par-five 13th hole.

The 32-year-old needed a strong bounce-back tournament after missing the cut last week at the CareerBuilder Challenge, so this is a loud statement as he seeks his first PGA Tour win since the 2013 Puerto Rico Open. 

Choi didn't dazzle in the third round, shooting an even-par 72, but he was able to do enough in the first two rounds to hang around the top of the leaderboard.  

Jimmy Walker made a move on Saturday with his best round of the tournament, firing a four-under 68 that moved his total score to eight under. He's been consistent to start this season, playing each of his last 15 rounds under par. 

Putting has been critical for Walker, especially in the third round, with Justin Ray of the Golf Channel noting how spectacular his performance was within 15 feet of the hole:

Even though Walker has yet to win this season, he finished in the top 10 at the Hero World Challenge and Hyundai Tournament of Champions. The American star is on his way to another stellar finish but has serious aspirations of a victory. 

While Jonas Blixt does have a steeper mountain to climb than Walker and Choi, he put himself in position to contend with the day's lowest score (66). The 31-year-old has been incredible after a disastrous start to the tournament, per Todd Lewis of the Golf Channel: 

One more day with that score will likely prove to be fruitful for Blixt, who is looking for his first win of any kind since 2013. 

There were a lot of players who found success on Saturday, but it was not a good day for Dustin Johnson. He looked great after shooting a 66 in the second round, moving into a tie for second place, and there was early evidence he could do that again:

That was as good as things would get for Johnson, though. He fell into a tie for ninth place thanks to a 74, which marks his worst single round in a tournament this season. 

Johnson has always been an erratic player, with notable struggles in the third round, most recently firing a 75 at the 2015 British Open, so this is another disheartening performance if he was going to take a step forward in 2016. 

Despite Johnson's misery, Saturday was full of players who put themselves in contention at the Farmers Insurance Open. The South Course has been making or breaking scores all weekend, so it fittingly served as today's venue. 

Brown was in the lead after Thursday's opening round and ended in that spot after the third round. He needs to put together 18 more strong holes for a victory, but the pressure mounting behind him opens things up for a wild finish that fits right in with how this tournament has played out so far.