5 takeaways from Saturday’s third round

JACKSON, Miss. – Don’t blink, you’ll miss another birdie.

Moving day lived up to its mantra on Saturday at the 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship at The Country Club of Jackson. From the opening tee shot to the final cup rattling in the hole, there were plenty of birdies in the third round, leading to numerous players making big moves up the leaderboard. The scoring average has dropped every day through the first three rounds.

Among those at the top include a past champion, one looking to end a winless drought and someone looking for their first PGA Tour win.

Here are five takeaways from the third round of the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Sanderson Farms: Third-round live updates from the Clarion Ledger

Mark Hubbard in position for first win

Mark Hubbard has played 164 events in his PGA Tour career. His best finish is second.

Come Sunday, that could change.

Hubbard sits atop the leaderboard with 18 holes to go at 15 under. During the third round, he shot 7-under 65, which was the second-lowest round of the day.

The highlight came on the back nine when he went on a birdie barrage. Hubbard carded five consecutive birdies on Nos. 11-15, positioning himself near the top. He capped his day with an excellent approach shot on 18, hitting it from 203 yards to 4 feet and making birdie.

Mackenzie Hughes, who shot 9 under on Friday and was tied for the lead before the third round, is in second at 14 under. After making bogey on the second hole, he rebounded with five birdies before a bogey on the 17th, the result of a bad tee shot.

Yet he rebounded with a great birdie putt from the fringe behind the 18th green to get back within a shot of Hubbard.

If Hughes were to find the winner’s circle, it would be his first victory since 2016 at the RSM Classic.

Thomas Detry, who was tied for the lead following the second round, shot a 2-over 74.

Keegan Bradley makes a move

Keegan Bradley wasn’t close to the lead when he teed off Saturday morning. By the time his round finished around 2 p.m. ET, he was the leader in the clubhouse.

Bradley had a huge leap up the leaderboard, moving to T-6 after an 8-under 64 on moving day to sit at 11 under for the tournament. When he finished his round, though it was before the leaders had teed off, he was the solo leader.

He birdied Nos. 1, 3 and 6 on the front, but the back nine is where he caught fire. He birdied Nos. 10-14, including a pair of par…