AKRON, Ohio _ Zach Johnson and Thomas Pieters have taken different paths the past three days to share the top spot on the leaderboard at Firestone Country Club.
Johnson's relied on his tee shots to put himself in position to score in the 2017 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, and Pieters continues to scramble around the South Course like the crafty veteran that he is not.
Regardless, the two players enter Sunday's final rounds with identical 9-under 201 scores. Both are putting well and each is seeking his first Gary Player Cup in Akron.
Johnson, 41 and an American from Georgia, shot a 5-under 65 on Saturday by hitting 12 of 14 fairways. He has hit 26 of 42 fairways through three rounds.
"I gave myself a lot of great opportunities," Johnson said. "I hit a lot of greens in regulation. Just a solid day all around. I drove it good and I putt it good. I felt like I left some out there but at the same time I know I made a few, too."
Pieters, 25 and a native of Antwerp, Belgium, carded a 66 on Saturday, hitting 4 of 14 fairways. He has hit 13 of 42 fairways through three rounds.
"My bad golf is getting better," said Pieters, a Firestone first-timer. "That's always good.
"My ball striking was good, driver was not good ... and I managed to score really well, so pretty happy."
Johnson made birdies on Nos. 1, 5, 6, 8, 11, 14, 16 and 18, and bogies on 7, 9 and 15.
"On a course like this, you got to hit the ball in the fairway," Johnson said. "This is the best I've driven it probably all year. It's probably the best driver I've had in my bag all year, if not ever, so very encouraged. After cracking a face at the British (Open), this is the most I've been encouraged with my driver."
Pieters scored birdies on Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 16 and 18, and bogies on 9, 13, 14 and 17.
"I have to find more fairways tomorrow if I want to win," Pieters said. "Maybe a bit more 3-woods or an iron off the tee. Hopefully we can straighten out the driver."
Australia's Scott Hend enters Sunday at 8 under after shooting a 63, the best round of this year's tournament, with birdies on Nos. 1, 5, 6, 8, 10, 14, 15 and 18.
"I have no idea how (Jose Maria) Olazabal, (Tiger Woods) and Sergio (Garcia) shot 61 around here," Hend said. "Today I had two three-putts and shot 63 but it ain't no 61. I still don't know how they shot 61. It's a tough golf course. It's demanding, everywhere you look it's demanding. There is no hole where you can just pull out a driver and knock it up 10 feet from the green, chip it up and make an easy birdie."
Hend, making his first appearance at Firestone, needed just 22 putts on Saturday.
"I've been scrambling well all week anyway, managed to hit a few more fairways and actually holed some putts, so that was the big difference," Hend said.
"I three-putted the second (for a par) and I three-putted the seventh hole (for a bogey). It was quite nice to hole some putts. I haven't holed any putts so far in the week, and then today I managed to match the speed up with my lines and hole some putts. It was great."
Japan's Hideki Matsuyama carded a 67 on Saturday, and is two shots off the lead.
"Not one part of my game stood out," Matsuyama said through a translator. "I guess the main thing is I didn't make any major mistakes, and I am pleased with that."
Canada's Adam Hadwin, Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and American Charley Hoffman are tied for fifth at 6 under. Hadwin and Hoffman each shot a 67 on Saturday and McIlroy posted a 68.
"I've been putting great, I've been hitting the ball in the fairway a good percentage of the time for me and giving myself opportunities," Hoffman said.
Said Hadlin: "My strategy this week is to kind of fairways and greens this course to death. Obviously you want to make a bunch of putts, but if you get tap-in pars, there's nothing wrong with that."
Scotland's Russell Knox (68 Saturday) enters Sunday at 5 under for the tournament and England's Paul Casey (67 Saturday) is at 4 under.
American Jimmy Walker held the lead through two rounds, and then posted a 74 on Saturday to fall to 3 under. Walker is tied for 10th with Americans Bubba Watson, Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger and Kevin Chappell and Australia's Jason Day.
"This golf course can jump up and bite you pretty quick, and we don't know what the conditions are going to be like tomorrow," Hend said. "I'm just happy to be where I am right now, and we'll take stock tomorrow when we return to the golf course."
