Valspar Championship Round 3: Im Birdies 18 to Stretch Lead, Snedeker Won't Go Quietly

Sungjae Im has led this tournament after every single round, and honestly? Nobody’s been able to do a damn thing about it.

A 13-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole — sweeping left-to-right, the kind that has no business going in on a Saturday afternoon with the wind gusting to 15 mph — pushed Im to 11-under and a two-shot cushion heading into Sunday’s final round at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course.

But the real story? The guy walking next to him in the final pairing tomorrow.

Brandt Snedeker Is 45 Years Old and Doesn’t Care

Let that sink in for a second. Brandt Snedeker — 45 years old, playing on a sponsor exemption, hadn’t sniffed a top-10 in over a year — shot a 4-under 67 to sit at 9-under, two back of Im.

He birdied three of his first four holes Saturday. He’s been putting lights-out all week after switching to a mallet putter a few weeks ago, and the short game has been vintage Snedeker. The kind of stuff that won him nine PGA Tour titles and a spot as U.S. Presidents Cup captain.

“Rolling the ball so good, chipping the ball so good — if I can kind of get my long game under control a little bit, we’re going to have a good chance tomorrow,” Snedeker said.

At 45, on a sponsor exemption, in the final pairing. That’s a movie script, not a golf tournament.

Im Keeps Grinding

Im’s round wasn’t pristine — a 3-under front nine (birdies on 1, 7, and 8) was followed by back-to-back bogeys on the 12th and 13th that let the field creep back in. But he responded like he’s responded all week: with composure.

The birdie on 18 was the exclamation point.

“I was really happy that my play was good on the finishing stretch, 16 through 18,” Im said. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been in the lead like this. I’m sure I will be nervous, but the best I can do is just to play my own game.”

After missing two straight cuts coming off his wrist injury, Im has now led for 54 consecutive holes on one of the toughest courses on Tour. That’s not a fluke — that’s a dude who found something during those two months off.

The Rest of the Leaderboard

David Lipsky matched Snedeker at 9-under after a rocky 70 (five birdies, four bogeys). He’s still winless on the PGA Tour, and this is his best chance yet. The question is whether his erratic ball-striking can hold up for 18 more holes on Copperhead.

Matt Fitzpatrick, who finished second at The Players Championship last week, sits at 8-under alongside Marco Penge. Both shot 68 on Saturday. Fitzpatrick just keeps showing up — the guy is a machine.

Brooks Koepka had a quiet 71 and is tied for 16th at 3-under. Not the weekend he wanted, but still finishing out a solid return to PGA Tour events.

Sunday Preview

Im is the clear favorite, but Copperhead has a way of making two-shot leads feel like nothing. The par-3 13th is a back-breaker, the stretch from 16-18 is as tough a closing stretch as any on Tour, and the greens are going to be firm and fast.

Snedeker in the final pairing makes this must-watch TV. If the putter stays hot and he finds a few fairways, we could see one of the most heartwarming wins in recent PGA Tour history.

Jordan Spieth is lurking further back — not out of it, but he’ll need a special Sunday to catch Im.

Final round coverage starts at 1 PM ET on CBS and Golf Channel. Don’t miss this one.