Pebble Beach National Pro-Am 2017: Saturday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights

Jordan Spieth took another step toward winning his first tournament of 2017 on Saturday, as he shot a seven-under 65 to seize the solo lead in the third round at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in Pebble Beach, California.  

Spieth will enter the fourth round with a six-shot cushion over Brandt Snedeker, as seen in this snapshot of the leaderboard:

The 23-year-old Texan entered the day tied for first with Jason Day and Derek Fathauer, but his competition faded while he thrived.

Spieth came out of the gates with guns blazing, as he birdied each of his first two holes and played the front nine at two-under.

His performance on the back nine of the Pebble Beach Golf Links course was even better at five-under thanks to shots such as this 25-foot birdie putt on No. 10, courtesy of the PGA Tour:

Spieth's putting was fantastic throughout the day, and it has proved key in his staying ahead of the pack over the course of the entire tournament.

He sunk five birdie putts on the back nine, including this one on the 17th, which marked his 12th one-putt of the round:

Spieth is a heavy favorite to win entering Sunday's fourth round, and he has a chance to add to his already impressive list of accolades.

According to Justin Ray of GolfChannel.com, a win will place him alongside Tiger Woods in terms of success before the age of 24:

Spieth will do precisely that, barring a major collapse, due in part to the fact that his closest challengers going into the third round fell well off the pace.

Day had to settle for a three-over 75 to drop to seven-under on the tourney, while Fathauer ended up with a two-over 73 on the Monterey Peninsula Country Club course to move to eight-under.

It was an especially disappointing performance for Fathauer since a birdie on No. 2 temporarily had him all alone atop the leaderboard on Saturday:

After three bogeys and one double-bogey, however, he put himself in a precarious position ahead of the fourth round.

Spieth's closest competition at the start of Sunday's round will be Snedeker, who is a two-time winner of the event.

He played his way into contention on his opening nine with six birdies in a seven-hole stretch, but struggled on his back nine.

Also in the mix is Dustin Johnson at 10-under. DJ's six-under third round was among the best of the day, and he may be Spieth's biggest threat.

While the Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a serious tournament, one of its best aspects is the fact that celebrities and athletes from other sports can play alongside the professionals.

Often that leads to some bloopers, but many of them are great golfers who acquit themselves well.

That was true of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who nearly eagled the par-five second with this strong chip:

Actor Bill Murray has long been a fixture at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and although he is best known for his wild outfits and antics, he's a solid golfer in his own right.

That was on full display with the following tee shot:

No amateur stole the show more so than Justin Timberlake on Saturday, though, as he was responsible for many of the round's top highlights.

That included nearly acing the par-three seventh, as well as chipping in on both No. 16 and No. 17:

Timberlake's performance caused Dave Miller of CampusInsiders.com to wonder if there is anything JT can't do:

One thing that comes to mind is holding a six-shot lead over the rest of the field, which is precisely the advantage Spieth enjoys through three rounds of play.

While Spieth can't put the trophy on his mantel quite yet with the likes of Snedeker and Johnson chasing him, it would take a poor showing to blow the lead he has built.

Spieth has been close to winning on several occasions in 2017 thus far, and although he hasn't gotten the job done yet, all signs point to his drought ending on Sunday.

Post-Round Reaction

After watching playing partner Justin Timberlake wow the crowd at Pebble Beach on Saturday, Justin Rose tweeted about the experience:

Rose and Timberlake are friends, according to Steve DiMeglio of USA Today, and the Englishman marveled at what his buddy was able to do in the third round:

"

When the crowds turn up he plays his best. Or when there's the iconic seventh hole at Pebble, he'll stiff it. You know what I mean?

[...]

He's always clutch in the moment. He seems to step up to the moment when he's needed. A hole like [No.] 7 at Pebble, it's a moment you kind of like to step up on. And he did.  That would have been insane if he'd made a one there. A SportsCenter moment.

"

Timberlake admitted that the first two days of the tournament were tough due to the weather, but his performance on Saturday already has him looking forward to next year:

"

It's a tournament I've always wanted to play. And I guess they got spoiled with the weather last year and I thought, 'Man, this is a great tournament, I'm going to do this every year.' Then after two days this week, I'm thinking I'm never going to come back again. And after today I'm coming back next year.

"

One person who enjoys Pebble Beach most years is two-time winner Brandt Snedeker, but he knows he has his work cut out for him if he's going to register win No. 3, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com): "[T]he front nine will be huge tomorrow, the first seven holes. I've got to go out there and make some birdies and put some pressure on him."