SpongeBob SquarePants can win the United States Senior Open on Sunday. He is only three strokes out of the lead.

On Saturday, his alias, Paul Goydos, wore a golf shirt that looked like a traffic cone or belonged on a school crossing guard’s vest. That neon chartreuse yellow polo shirt, which must have glowed in the dark closet where he dressed Saturday morning, could have been bought from the discount rack at Goodwill. What’s his sponsor — Stanley Tools?

The day before, the 54-year-old, 5-foot-9, 190-pound professional golfer played in a sport shirt you wouldn’t wear to a luau. Goydos oddly also fastens his top button — because, he has said, “I have no shoulders, and I don’t want my shirt to fall off during the round.’’

Unlike the other pros, Goydos’ shirts are not covered in logos like NASCAR race cars. Maybe his cap should state: “This space available.’’

All of The Broadmoor is enthusiastically awaiting the stylish Goydos attire Sunday.

He isn’t favored to finish first in the U.S. Senior Open.

But Goydos is the favorite in the tournament — to the gallery, the volunteers, the media and many of the other players.

Goydos once claimed he was the worst player in the history of the PGA.

Then, all he did was become the fifth pro to shoot the fabulous 59.

Paul was nicknamed “Sunshine’’ by fellow pro Jeff Sluman because “he finds the dark cloud in every silver lining.’’

Since turning pro in 1989, Goydos has won twice on the PGA Tour — the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Sony Open in Hawaii — and would have won the Players Championship if he didn’t bogey the final hole. Since joining the Champions Tour in 2014, Guydos has won five times, most recently last year in the 3M Championship.

All he did was shoot a 60 in that tournament.

Goydos maybe is the funniest man in golf, but he’s no joke of a player. He’s made over a million bucks in seven years, including two of the last three. He’s never made a Ryder Cup team, but he was chosen an assistant captain once. And he’s been in the top 25 in five of his last six tournaments — and was runner-up in the Insperity Invitational.

The players in the Senior Open this week believe that The Broadmoor is hard.

Goydos will say hard is when he was a substitute teacher for a kindergarten class. His grandfather had it hard when he came to America from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.

Paul loves golf and his two daughters — Courtney and Chelsea.

His ex-wife, who had a severe pain pill addiction and depression, died in 2009. Goydos took leave from the Tour to become a single parent.

He is a joy to be around.

After opening with a 2-over-par 72 in extreme conditions Thursday, Goydos has responded with 67 and 70, is one of only seven players under par and could win his first major of any type.

He should have been only one shot away from first. Goydos missed birdie putts on 18 by six inches in the second and third rounds.

Goydos’ attempt on the home hole Friday did a 270-degree turn and was on the precipice of the lip. He hoped for a tremor at that moment and paused. Nope. On Saturday his short putt on No. 18 was pulled just a shade left.

In the second round, Goydos appeared to be playing himself into oblivion with bogey-double bogey to begin the back nine. Then he went 3-3-2-3. “Generally, after I go bogey, double, I go ballistic and break all my clubs. I generally don’t have much patience, quite frankly. … I was teaching my caddie some new words on the 12th tee. Then you’re the happiest guy in the world on the 16th tee.’’

He was in with a 67.

And he’s in the Chase for the Crown at minus-1 overall, tied with Brandt Jobe and Miguel Angel Jimenez, and one ahead of his best friend on Tour — Kevin Sutherland.

Goydos was philosophical more than humorous at the end of Saturday.

“I could have shot 75. I probably got as much out of (the round) as I could have, which is a good thing, and, hopefully, tomorrow will be better.’’

And the crowd will react to the Paul Goydos game louder than his shirt.