Poised Snedeker set for whatever comes his way

Every now and then, given his boyish and freckled appearance, Brandt Snedeker hears comparisons to Huckleberry Finn. Or occasionally Opie Taylor from “The Andy Griffith Show.”

Snedeker also exudes Huck’s carefree, happygo-lucky demeanor — and that often makes all the difference on the golf course.

Snedeker shot 69 on Saturday at the Safeway Open in Napa, giving him a three-stroke lead heading into the final round. His last trip around Silverado Resort’s North Course could become a

daunting test, because the wind is expected to blow up to 19 mph Sunday.

Wind torments tour pros more than skinny fairways and thick rough, but Snedeker tends to stroll amiably down the fairway no matter the conditions. He traced this to childhood rounds with his dad, Larry, and older brother Haymes, both of whom let bad shots bother them.

“I’ve always had that mentality,” Snedeker said of his pleasant disposition. “My brother didn’t have it when he played, he was a complete hothead. My dad didn’t have it when he played. They both had terrible tempers. I guess I got it from my mom. …

“I’ve seen it happen so many times out here (on tour), when guys beat themselves up so bad that they can’t get out of their own way to play good golf. I’ve fallen into that trap sometimes, but if you keep a good attitude that’s half the battle.”

Make no mistake, Snedeker owns the intensity required to become a nine-time winner on the PGA Tour. And, if anything, his motivation soared when he missed five months last year with a rib injury.

That forced him to skip the British Open and PGA Championship, among other tournaments. He resurfaced in November 2017, then put together an ordinary season by his standards — even while shooting 59 and winning the tour event in Greensboro, N.C., in August.

Snedeker finished 47th on the money list and didn’t advance to last month’s Tour Championship. That’s his threshold for a good season, and for good reason: He’s finished in the top 20 on the money list six times, including third in 2012 and fifth in ’13.

Now, healthy again at age 37 and rediscovering his rhythm,

Snedeker harbors grand ambitions. He wants to win more, including nabbing his first major title after letting several great chances (most notably at the 2013 Masters) slip away.

“I think I’ve still got five or six more years in my prime to play some great golf, and I really want to take advantage of that stretch,” he said. “So the time away last year kind of reinvested me as a person and golfer.”

Snedeker counts as an anomaly in this power-hitting era, as a top player who doesn’t crush the ball off the tee. He still reached No. 4 in the world ranking in February 2013, when he picked up the first of his two wins at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Much of this owes to his reliable putting: He ranked 18th on tour last season in strokes gained/putting and only 143rd in strokes gained off the tee. But some of Snedeker’s success also comes back to his attitude and ability to welcome challenging conditions.

He’s practically rooting for the wind to whip Sunday, in other words.

“It makes everybody play my kind of golf,” Snedeker said. “I think it’s 1,000 percent attitude. Matt Kuchar is a great example

of what a great attitude can do for you out here. That’s huge when conditions get bad. “The guys who have good attitudes relish the challenge, relish making ugly pars and doing whatever it takes to win.”

Snedeker stayed patient Saturday, even though he hit only 7 of 14 fairways and reached just 12 of 18 greens in regulation. He limited the damage, making two bogeys, and then reeled off birdies on the final three holes to reach 16under and give himself a cushion starting Sunday’s round.

Kevin Tway (68) will begin the day three shots back, with Sungjae Im (69) four behind and Bill Haas (67) trailing by five. Phil Mickelson, after playing so well Thursday and Friday, shot 74 to fall eight strokes off the pace.

They’re all chasing Huck Finn, who must have traded his fishing pole for golf clubs. Snedeker seemed sheepish when reminded of the resemblance to Mark Twain’s famous character, but he really doesn’t mind.

“There are worse things to be called in this world,” he said.

Ron Kroichick is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkroichick@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ronkroichick

Robert Laberge / Getty Images Brandt Snedeker birdied the final three holes, this one on No. 18, to reach 16-under and a three-shot lead after three rounds.