Masters 2016: Leaderboard Scores, Analysis, Highlights and More from Saturday

Jordan Spieth is 18 holes away from his second straight wire-to-wire Masters Tournament victory. The 22-year-old shot a one-over 73 during Saturday's third round to move to three under for the 2016 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

Spieth holds a one-stroke lead over Smylie Kaufman, with Bernhard Langer and Hideki Matsuyama tied for third place at one under:  

Spieth improved more as the round went on and the conditions at Augusta got better. Wind gusts caused problems for the golfers who teed off earlier in the day. The wind died down a bit in the evening, though, which benefited those with the latest tee times.

It's no coincidence Spieth reeled off three birdies over a four-hole stretch on the back nine to widen his lead. The timing couldn't have been any better either after he double-bogeyed No. 11. FoxSports.com's Shane Bacon was most impressed with Spieth's work on the green:

ESPN.com's Jason Sobel believes fans have seen this story before:

Of course, ESPN's Skip Bayless correctly noted that Spieth has had his fair share of luck at times, which he could say of every Masters champion:

Spieth's luck ran out on Nos. 17 and 18 after he carded a bogey and a double bogey to end his third round. ESPN's Mark Donaldson was left shaking his head at how the two holes played out:

Russillo and Kanell's Twitter account spoke for the rest of the field:

While Spieth's leading after the third round was predictable, forecasting his closest challengers was a little less so. Kaufman is playing in his first Masters, while Langer, 58 years old, would be the oldest modern major winner by a decade.

ThinkProgress' Lindsay Gibbs shared one of the more interesting facts about Kaufman:

ESPN Stats & Info, meanwhile, noted how improbable a Langer win would be:

The German pulled off one of the shots of the round to pick up a birdie on No. 14, via the tournament's Twitter account:

Even if one or both of Kaufman or Langer starts to fall off Sunday, they've far outperformed expectations.

Entering the Masters, no golfer was hotter than Jason Day, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship before making the trip to Augusta. Day is back to even par after finishing one under Saturday. In fairness, his birdie putt on No. 14 should've counted for two strokes:

The 2011 Masters co-runner-up still has some work to do on the final day. Considering how low the scores have been the last two days, making up three shots on Spieth won't be easy.

Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, entered Saturday only one shot behind Spieth but assuredly played himself out of his first Masters title by shooting five over in the third round. It's the third time the 26-year-old has carded a 77 or higher in the third round of the tournament.

McIlroy sputtered a bit on the front nine, picking up two bogeys on the third and seventh holes. ESPN's Mike Greenberg thought the second of the two bogeys was disastrous:

With one more round to play, Spieth is in control, though his second green jacket isn't a mere formality. One or two bad holes by the defending champion could turn the tournament on its head and open the door for another golfer to climb atop the leaderboard Sunday.

According to AccuWeather.com, the forecast in Augusta should be a little more friendly for the golfers. Temperatures are set to hover around 68 degrees along with 10 mph wind gusts, which could mean lower scores compared to the last two days.

Lower scoring could be a double-edged sword. While it would allow the field a better chance of catching up to Spieth, it could also put the best golfer in the word in a stronger position to consolidate his lead. 

Spieth won't be happy with the way Saturday ended, but he ensured Sunday's final round will be exhilarating from start to finish. 

Post-Round Reaction

Spieth was still trying to process his emotions after the round.

"I played better than I scored today," he said, per Yahoo Sports' Jay Hart. "Tough finish to hold a four-shot lead to now it's anyone's game. So it's tough to swallow. If you told me [before the tournament] I'd be leading after 54 holes I'd be pleased, so there's mixed feelings."

McIlroy is one of the golfers who started to feel a faint glimmer of hope as play ended Saturday, per Paul Hayward of the Telegraph:

Don't expect Kaufman to wilt as the tournament moves into the final round. In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Ray Cox, he discussed whether being second after 54 holes at the Masters compares to watching an LSU Tigers football game: "No, it still doesn't. LSU football is one of the most painful things to watch ever really. That just speaks to how big of a fan I am, though."

Whether or not Langer wins, he believes the idea of a golfer into his 50s winning a major isn't crazy.

"I believe I can," he said of his chances of adding a third green jacket, per USA Today's Christine Brennan. "I've been saying it's going to happen sooner or later, one of the over-50s is going to win a major. The guys are staying fit. They are taking care of themselves. We see it amongst the young guys, but as they get older they are going to be in better shape, and it's just a matter of time."