WGC-Bridgestone Invitational 2016: Saturday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights

Jason Day and Scott Piercy will enter the final round of the 2016 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on equal footing atop the leaderboard, as they both sit at five under following Saturday's third round.

Day shot a one-under 69 after entering the weekend with the solo lead, while Piercy fired a three-under 67 to close the gap at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. 

Here is a look at the leaderboard after 54 holes; full results are available at WorldGolfChampionships.com:

While the world No. 1 managed to stay in first place, Saturday's round was a struggle for Day. He carded a pair of bogeys and couldn't hit the fairway with any type of regularity.

Day seemed destined for a potential put-away round early on, though. He knocked down a confident birdie putt on the first hole, as seen in this video courtesy of the PGA Tour:

The Australian superstar's round was up and down in nature from that point forward, but he put himself in great position to win the Bridgestone for the first time in his career.

In order to do so, however, he will have to hold off the hard-charging Piercy, who wiped out a two-shot deficit by virtue of his impressive third-round showing.

The highlight of Piercy's day came on the par-five second hole, where he converted a remarkable eagle with the following chip-in:

Piercy appeared well on his way to posting the best round of the day and entering Sunday with sole possession of the lead, but he had his first and only slip-up on the 18th hole.

After playing the first 17 holes at four under without a bogey, the 37-year-old dropped a stroke on his final hole of the round and left the door open for Day.

As  ESPN.com's Jason Sobel pointed out, it is difficult to predict how Piercy will fare in the fourth round due to his inconsistent results in big tournaments this year:

Piercy seemed to feel the pressure near the end of his round, while Day rose to the occasion with perhaps his best tee shot to preserve par and his standing:

Day and Piercy share the driver's seat, but the biggest story of the third round may have been U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson and his resurgent performance.

Johnson is three shots off the lead at two under thanks to carding a four-under 66, which turned out to be the low round of the day.

DJ was seemingly locked in off the tee, with his irons and on the greens, as evidenced by this awesome approach on the fifth hole:

Johnson converted five birdies, all of which came in an eight-hole stretch culminating on the par-four 11th:

Although the 32-year-old did drop a shot with his first and only bogey of the day on the 14th, he has a legitimate chance to steal the win if he turns in a similar performance Sunday.

Per Sobel, Johnson seems to have conquered the demons that previously led to his crumbling in big moments so often earlier in his career:

Big names such as Day and Johnson are very much in the mix, but two-time major champion Jordan Spieth will need a gargantuan effort Sunday to contend, as he sits five strokes behind the lead at even par.

Spieth shot a disappointing one-over 71, and one hole in particular did him in: He posted an eight on the par-five 16th.

Following his round, Spieth criticized the setup of the hole that may have cost him an opportunity to win the tournament, according to Will Gray of GolfChannel.com:

In addition to Spieth, Bubba Watson is six shots back at one over. Adam Scott is two over, Rickie Fowler sits at three over, and Phil Mickelson is well off the pace with an overall score of six over.

While the likes of David Lingmerth and Brian Stuard are also in the mix, Sunday is shaping up to be a potential three-horse race between Day, Johnson and the underdog Piercy.

Day has enjoyed a fantastic season with three wins to his credit, including a triumph at the Players Championship, but Johnson has momentum on his side after finally breaking through with his first major victory at the U.S. Open.

Day and Johnson won't be in the final group together, but their matchup will be the biggest one to watch in the final round, as they both look to win the Bridgestone for the first time.

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