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By Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents

LEMONT, Ill. -- Brandt Snedeker figured he had nowhere to go but up, and that's exactly what he did on Saturday during the third round of the BMW Championship.

Brandt Snedeker's 65 on Saturday was his lowest score since his 63 in the final round of his Wyndham Championship victory. (Mike Ehrmann/WireImage)

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

BRANDT SNEDEKER IN 2007

Category Total Rank Driving Distance 285.7 yds. 124 Driving Accuracy 59.41% 142 Greens in Regulation 64.58% 60 Putts Per Round 28.61 20 Sand Saves 50.33% 79 Scoring Average 69.92 17 FedExCup Points 96,632 17 Money Leaders $2,600,318 14

• Brandt Snedeker's Player Page

The PGA TOUR rookie took advantage of the soft conditions on Cog Hill's Dubsdread course to shoot a 65 that moved him into the top 10 entering the final round of the third event in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.

"I knew I had to go low today and, fortunately, I did," he said.

Snedeker set the tone for the day early with a clutch par save at the first hole and birdies from 13 and 7 feet, respectively, at Nos. 2 and 3. The affable 26-year-old with the Huck Finn grin later reeled off four more birdies in a row beginning on the seventh hole.

"I got the putter working early," Snedeker, who needed just 23 on Saturday, admitted. "When I make some putts early and get some confidence in the putter I can make a lot. And I did. I made a lot today.

"I hit it great the first 13, 14 holes and then I hit some scrapers, started to get it up and down a little bit. But it worked out great. It's nice to finish the way I did and save some pars coming in."

The round of 6 under was Snedeker's lowest since the 63 he shot in the final round of his first PGA TOUR victory at the Wyndham Championship. And it was only the second time he'd shot in the 60s in his last nine rounds.

After the breakthrough victory, which established Snedeker as the frontrunner in the race for PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year honors, the Tennessean admitted he put too much pressure on himself to perform.

"I tried my best not to, but I definitely held myself to a higher standard than I have all year," said Snedeker, who has won more than $2.6 million this year and ranks ninth in the FedExCup race. "I was really negative on myself the last two weeks -- even this week the first two rounds I was very negative.

"I told my caddy this morning before we went out there I was going to be positive no matter what happens. My mental attitude has not been very good the last three weeks. So it was nice to be positive today and have some good things happen and quit drawing on the negative like I have been. It was definitely a step in the right direction."

Told that it's hard to imagine a man with such a ready smile and bright outlook being hard on himself, Snedeker laughed.

"Fortunately, you don't hear what I say to myself out there," he said. "I laugh it off half the time and half the time I tell myself I'm an idiot and how terrible I am. So I need to do a better job of being positive and giving myself some credit."

That wasn't difficult on Saturday as Snedeker moved from a tie for 35th into a tie for ninth. He appears to have grooved his swing again, and those pinpoint irons produced six birdie putts inside 15 feet.

"(My swing) definitely felt better today," Snedeker agreed. "I've still got a few loose ones in there I'm trying to get out. At least, I can line up and have an idea of where it's going now, so that's good. With the course is playing soft like it is, it makes the fairways a little bit wider, too."

Snedeker said he felt the 65 would take some of the self-imposed pressure off. He has something to build on now, but he will need another very low round Sunday to have a prayer of winning with Tiger Woods, among others, separating himself from the pack.

"I definitely think I can go out there and make a run at them," Snedeker said. "You never know. With Tiger up there the lead is going to be something very special. Hopefully, we've got something in us, and I think we do.

"I certainly haven't put too much pressure on myself the last two weeks I've been so far out of it, so it would be nice to put myself under some pressure tomorrow."