Laird made 10-footers for par on the 16th and 18th holes and had a 3-under 68, giving him a three-shot lead going into the final round over a new pair of the next generation.
Hideki Matsuyama of Japan roared into contention with a 63. Brooks Koepka finally found some fairways and used his power to shoot a 64. They were tied for second with Zach Johnson, who had a 67.
Laird, a Scot who has lived the last 14 years in Scottsdale, was at 13-under 200.
Among those still in the mix was Francesco Molinari, who made a hole-in-one before more than 15,000 rowdy fans on the par-3 16th hole.
