Troy Merritt is having the week of his career thus far at the RBC Heritage. Merritt tied the course record Friday with a 10-under-par 61 at Harbour Town Golf Links, and increased his lead Saturday.
With only one top 10 so far this season, a win would certainly change Merritt's life. Not only would a win get him into all of the summer's major tournaments — and next year's Masters — it would also give him automatic two-year full status on the PGA Tour.
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It won't be easy with players such as Matt Kuchar and Jordan Spieth breathing down his neck on a tight course that can be difficult if you're making nervy swings. Merritt holds a three-shot lead heading into Sunday's final round and will be in a four-hour battle to slip on the winner's plaid jacket.
Here's a look at what Merritt and his challengers need to do to win:
Troy Merritt (-14) — He showed Saturday he can battle back from adversity when he birdied the ninth hole after a double bogey on the eighth. Blips like that are likely to happen again for a player with limited experience playing in the final group on Sunday. The most important thing for Merritt will be to stay within himself, and not press, even if he sees a name flying up the leaderboard — like a certain Masters champion.
Brendon Todd (-11) — Todd earned a spot in the final group with an 8-under 63 on Saturday, capped by a dramatic chip-in. Todd is an under-the-radar player with nine top 10s and a win over the last two seasons. He has shown he can make birdies in bunches, but it's difficult to go low two days in a row. Playing with the leader will help, because Todd will have a first-hand look at what his opponent is doing.
Matt Kuchar (-11) — The defending champion has been solid through the first three rounds (66-68-66), most likely biding his time for a Sunday charge. The seven-time PGA Tour champion has been uncharacteristically quiet in 2015, but a second-straight win at Hilton Head would change that in a hurry. He will need to keep an eye on Spieth.
Jim Furyk (-10) — Furyk is off to an even quieter start to the season than Kuchar. He's had a history of losing tee shots left when in contention on Sundays, so it's imperative he stays accurate on the tight layout. The 2010 Heritage champion has a great chance to gain back the form we saw throughout 2014 with a strong finish.
Jordan Spieth (-9) — Starting five shots back won't be a problem if Spieth plays like he did on Friday. He was understandably flat in the first round but has shown his Masters form the last two days. Spieth should play freely a few groups back from the leaders, and will be trying to post a score the others can't reach.
The tournament is largely wide open, and the aforementioned are just some of the headliners in contention Sunday. Kevin Kisner sits at 11 under and has been striking the ball beautifully. Brendan Grace is a real threat at 10 under, and he owns two wins on the European Tour already this year.
There's a host of dangerous names at 8 under, led by Luke Donald, who have knocked on the door more than once in this event. Past winner Graeme McDowell and major champion Louis Oosthuizen are also within shouting distance six shots back.