Valero Texas Open 2019: Si Woo Kim Leads Corey Conners Entering Final Round

After starting Saturday with a four-shot lead, Si Woo Kim finds himself in a battle with Corey Conners heading into the final round of the 2019 Valero Texas Open. 

Conners moved into second place with a 66 that dropped his three-day score to 14 under par. Kim was able to take sole possession of the lead at 15 under thanks to a birdie on the final hole. 

As impressive as Conners' day was, Charley Hoffman sits in third place with the best single-round score of the tournament (64). He moved up 17 spots with a 54-hole total of 13 under. 

Here's the top of the leaderboard from TPC San Antonio, via PGATour.com:

1. Si Woo Kim (-15)

2. Corey Conners (-14)

3. Charley Hoffman (-13)

T4. Scott Brown (-11)

T4. Jhonattan Vegas (-11)

T4. Kyoung-Hoon Lee (-11)

T7. Danny Lee (-10)

T7. Adam Schenk (-10)

T9. Matt Kuchar (-9)

T9. Brian Stuard (-9)

T9. Ryan Moore (-9)

Kim looked like he was going to cruise to a victory after ending the Friday round four shots ahead of a group of six players tied for second. 

The biggest difference for Kim on Saturday, compared to the previous two days, is he didn't hit a groove over his final nine holes. The South Korea native was a combined eight under par with seven birdies and one eagle after making the turn Thursday and Friday. 

The third round saw Kim finish with two birdies over his final nine holes, though he nearly had an ace on No. 16 for the second straight day. He's still in a good position to leave Texas with a win, but there is significantly less margin for error now than there was 24 hours ago. 

Conners put himself into a tie for the lead, despite not knowing if he was even going to be playing this tournament. He had to qualify Monday just to get a spot in the field, setting him up to hit a near-ace on No. 3 five days later:

Conners' ascent up the standings is a change of pace after a difficult stretch of golf. The 27-year-old missed the cut in five of his previous six PGA Tour events and finished tied for 41st at The Players Championship. He did finish tied for third at the Sony Open in January prior to the start of that run. 

Directly behind the co-leaders, Hoffman has improved his play with each subsequent round of the tournament. He opened with 71-68 on Thursday and Friday before going eight under par, which included a 31 on the back nine in the third round. 

Hoffman's recent lack of success virtually echoes the struggles Conners has endured prior to arriving in Texas. He missed six cuts in 11 events and hasn't finished higher than 18th in any tournament this season. 

If Hoffman wants to earn his first victory since the 2016 Texas Open, he will likely have to do something he hasn't done this year: post a final-round score under 70. 

Jordan Spieth fell off the pace with his worst showing of the weekend, though it could have been much worse. He started the day as part of the final group with Kim and Conners but didn't match their performances thanks to a brutal front nine. 

Spieth looked like he was heading for a score in the 80s after posting two double bogeys and two bogeys over his first nine holes. The Texas native salvaged the day with a one-over-par 73 by shooting a 31 on the back nine. 

The key takeaway from Saturday is everyone has to be on top of their game with 18 holes remaining. Kim has been atop the standings after every round, but his lead nearly evaporated today. Conners and Hoffman proved there are scores in the mid-60s to be found. 

Scott Brown, Jhonattan Vegas and Kyoung-Hoon Lee are still in the mix at 11 under par. The final round is riddled with drama that should make for a thrilling close to the tournament.