The 27-year-old world No.52 from Perth sits in a tie for seventh at 14-under after a two-under-par 70 on Moving Day and has his work cut out as he chases a sixth professional win on Sunday (Monday AEDT).

Fellow Aussie Jason Day (68) is nine off the pace, with defending champion Rory McIlroy (72) 10 shots behind.

Pebble Beach started to show a nasty side on Saturday with wind that wobbled golf balls on the greens in chilly Pacific air. American Bhatia did enough early with six birdies in seven holes which carried him to a four-under 68 and a two-shot lead.

But the worst might still be to come.

Starting times were moved up one hour for the final round with a forecast of big wind and rain.

Low scores were still available. Collin Morikawa, the two-time major champion trying to end more than two years without a victory, had 11 birdies in his round of 62 which shot him up 25 spots on the leaderboard to a three-way tie for second with Jake Knapp (66) and Sepp Straka (67).

"I have been really focused on just trying to build this momentum; just making it myself and it's finally paid off today," Morikawa said.

"We have some work tomorrow, for sure."

Bhatia began the third round in a share of the lead with Japan's Ryo Hisatsune (74) and threatened to turn it into a runaway, leading by as many as five shots.

He went out in 30 and came in 38, exactly what Pebble Beach can do with wind. Even so, Bhatia was at 19-under (197).

 
 
 
 
 
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"All in all, yeah, weird day," Bhatia said.

"Felt like I lost some ground toward the end, but then I realised it just played so much harder for some of the guys that were in some of the last tee times."

Knapp started and finished with an eagle. He holed out from 130 yards on the par-4 first hole and rode the wind for an approach to 12 feet for eagle on the par-5 18th.

Sam Burns (72) also holed out for eagle to start his day, temporarily giving him the lead. He didn't finish with an eagle, but it was no less surprising; a shot from the greenside bunker off the video board behind the green, then a chip that rattled the pin and dropped for birdie.

 

"It's not going to be pretty at all time," Knapp said.

"You're going to have some funky stuff happen and just have to deal with it."

Scottie Scheffler's best hope was to extend his streak of top 10s on the PGA Tour to 18. The world No.1 had a bogey-free 67 which allowed him to gain one shot on the lead, but still sit eight behind.