Northern Trust Open 2016: Saturday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights

There was another shift atop the leaderboard at this year's Northern Trust Open on Saturday, with Bubba Watson grabbing the lead at 12 under par with just 18 holes to play. 

Watson has been steady all weekend, boasting scores between 66 and 68 in all three rounds. 

Chez Reavie, who started and ended the day in second place, vaulted into the top spot early with three birdies in his first six holes. Dustin Johnson did provide some heat, briefly taking the lead following a birdie on the fifth hole and ending Saturday as part of a three-way tie for second place at 11 under par. 

Here's the full leaderboard after 54 holes at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California:

ESPN.com's Jason Sobel encapsulated the insanity around the leaderboard on Saturday:

The leaderboard didn't remain quite that chaotic as some players lost a stroke, but having eight players within two shots of Watson doesn't exactly qualify as breathing room. 

Reavie did hit a rough patch down the stretch, posting consecutive bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15 to lose grasp on sole possession of first place, but his strong start saved him. 

If there was any doubt about Reavie's chances to win coming into the third round, he immediately dispelled them. The 34-year-old, who hasn't won on the PGA Tour since 2008, has been consistent all weekend, with his highest score being a 67 on Friday. 

In addition to Reavie's lack of wins in the last eight years, Justin Ray of the Golf Channel noted how long it's been since he was even in the mix for a victory:

Since Reavie is not known for his power off the tee, his success stems from accuracy and being opportunistic. He brought both skills to the table on the par-four 10th hole with this eagle, via the PGA Tour:

It's fitting that Reavie played that hole so perfectly Saturday, as Rex Hoggard of the Golf Channel noted these comments from the Kansas native after the first round: 

Reavie needed to be great Saturday because Watson, Johnson and Rory McIlroy, among others, weren't going down without a fight. This is the putt that gave Johnson the lead, via the PGA Tour:

Moving back to the 10th hole for a moment, Hoggard also noted that Johnson could have pushed himself past Reavie if he had played it better:

If Johnson could have taken advantage of that 10th hole in the same way Reavie had, he would be in the lead. As it stands, he will enter the final round one shot behind Watson.

The good news for Johnson is he didn't melt down Saturday. The 31-year-old is a volatile presence, capable of imploding at any moment. Sunday will be his biggest test yet, as the final round is by far when he plays the worst. 

Johnson's final-round scoring average of 72.75 ranks 172nd on the PGA Tour and is more than three strokes higher than his average in any other round. 

McIlroy, on the other hand, should have all the confidence in the world after shooting his second 67 in three rounds. He's been lurking all weekend, made his big move Saturday and enters the final round with a scoring average of 67.5. 

Even when things seemed to be falling apart for McIlroy following a poor tee shot on No. 18, he saved things with an excellent par putt, via the PGA Tour:

According to Ray, McIlroy's 18'11" putt on the final hole was his longest of the day. 

Not to be outdone, Watson had his own save on 18 that kept him atop the leaderboard:

Watson needed a strong bounce-back tournament. He missed the 54-hole cut last week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after shooting 74 on Saturday, February 13. It marked the first time this season he finished outside the top 14 in an event. 

The ridiculous chaos on the leaderboard after 54 holes leaves little margin for error. Watson will try to fend off Reavie, Johnson and Jason Kokrak in his immediate rearview mirror while also needing to keep an eye on McIlroy, Adam Scott, K.J. Choi, Marc Leishman and Kevin Chappell. 

This weekend has already featured a different leader after every round, so Sunday is shaping up to provide one of the best finishes in this young season.

Post-Round Reaction

Watson, who previously won this event in 2014, was oozing confidence after taking the third-round lead, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com): "Knowing that I've won here and knowing that I can play around here, obviously I have a little bit of an advantage on the guy that probably hasn't won here."

The leaderboard is a mess of great players, which prompted Scott to note the importance of starting quickly on Sunday, per Robby Kalland of CBS Sports:

"

With it getting so bunched, getting off to a good start, kind of imperative, just because someone else will, or a few guys probably will. There's a 3-3-3 start or a 3-4-3 start quite easily for everyone, and that would be good to stay with them. Otherwise, it's a hard course to have to push to make up shots, and it's soft enough where it's not instant bogeys with the bad shots.

"

In the AP report, McIlroy noted that he has figured out ways to play the course in a short amount of time: "It's one of these golf courses, if you just stay around, hang in there and not make too many mistakes, stay patient, your time will come and it will present itself with a few opportunities. And thankfully on the back nine, I was able to take some of them."

This tournament has been all about opportunities so far. Players such as Watson, Scott and McIlroy have taken full advantage of them, giving them, and many others, a shot to win Sunday. 

Stats per PGATour.com.