Scottie Scheffler will head into the final round of the Masters with a three-stroke lead from Cameron Smith, after a volatile back nine on Saturday at Augusta National.
The world number one opened moving day with a five-shot lead, and charged out the gate on Saturday with four birdies over the opening nine holes.
Seeking his first major title, Scheffler then delivered three bogeys on four holes on the back nine, before taking a penalty for an unplayable lie on the par-four 18th.
Yet he salvaged what could have been an even worse outcome, gambling with a long iron and making a tricky up-and-down to finish with just a bogey and an eventual one-under 71.
In windy and icy conditions at Augusta, Smith emerged as the likeliest challenger with a second four-under 68 to finish Saturday on six-under-par.
The Australian world number six will be paired with Scheffler despite trailing by seven shots midway through the third round, claiming three birdies in six holes on the back nine.
Like Scheffler, Smith also skewed his tee shot into the trees on the 18th, but was eventually able to scramble for par.
Smith's Presidents Cup teammate Im Sung-jae is in outright third, shooting a one-under-par 71 in the third round.
Meanwhile, Tiger Woods' six-over-par 78 was his worst in 93 rounds over his career at Augusta, leaving him at seven-over-par.
Rory McIlroy looks ahead to 2025 and 'unfinished business' with Portrush
Rory McIlroy is already looking ahead to 2025 and the "unfinished business" he has at Royal Portrush.
The past year has been up and down for the four-time major winner, who won the DP World Tour's Dubai Desert Classic, DP World Championship, Zurich Classic and Wells Fargo Championship and recorded seven top-10 finishes.
But he suffered heartbreak at the U.S. Open where he led by two with four to play before bogeying three of the final four holes at Pinehurst No.2, as Bryson DeChambeau claimed a second major title.
McIlroy has not won a major for over 10 years and in July will return to his home course at Portrush for the 153rd Open, where he missed the cut back in 2019.
The 35-year-old, speaking to Sky Sports, addressed what is to come next year, including the return to Portrush.
"I love that we're playing the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in May, which is typically when we played the Wells Fargo," McIlroy said.
"It's when I know the golf course the best and I know that it's going to play, you know, the characteristics.
"I can't wait to go back to Portrush, because I feel like I've got some unfinished business there from last time, and we'll obviously go back to Augusta for The Masters.
"I think the one thing that probably won't get enough credit, because I've not won the US Open, is that I feel like I've become such a such a better player at US Open venues.
"So 2016, when we last played at Oakmont, where the US Open is, I missed the cut. I missed the cut in 2017 at the US Open and I missed the cut of 2018 in the US Open, but since then I've made a real effort to try to change what I did and how I approached playing that championship.
"From 2019 all the way through to this year in 2024, I feel like I've had a chance to win the US Open every Sunday that I've played there since, so I'm really proud of that. I'm looking forward to going back to a golf course that I struggled at before to see if I can figure it out."
Woods still not 'tournament-sharp' as recovery from back surgery continues
Tiger Woods says he is not yet "tournament-sharp" as the 15-time major winner continues his recovery from back surgery.
The 48-year-old underwent his sixth back operation in mid-September, after issues caused pain in his leg that became gradually worse.
Woods has played just five PGA Tour events this calendar year, missing three cuts while withdrawing from the Genesis Invitational through illness.
The former world number one provided an update on his condition at this week's Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event in the Bahamas that he hosts.
"I'm not tournament-sharp yet," Woods told reporters during a news conference. "No, I'm still not there.
"These are 20 of the best players in the world, and I'm not sharp enough to compete against them at this level. When I'm ready to compete and play at this level, then I will. The fire still burns to compete.
"As far as the recovery process of going out there and doing it again and again and again - and doing it consistently at a high level - for some reason, the body just won't recover like it used to. That's part of age and part of an athlete's journey.
"I'm just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better, and really give myself the best chance I can going into next year."
Woods also believes players receive financial rewards when appearing at the Ryder Cup, but with all money donated to charity.
"The Ryder Cup itself makes so much money, so why can't we allocate it to various charities?" he added.
"And what's wrong with each player - 12 players - getting a million dollars and the ability to divvy out to amazing charities that they're involved in that they can help out?
"It's never really been about getting paid, it's how can we allocate funds to help our sport or help things that we believe in back home. It's so hard to get onto that team; there are only 12 guys. What's wrong with being able to allocate more funds?"
McIlroy nominated for PGA Tour Player of the Year accolade with Scheffler and Schauffele
Rory McIlroy has been nominated for the 2024 PGA Tour Player of the Year award.
The four-time major winner faces competition from Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele for the accolade, having won his sixth Race to Dubai earlier this month.
Voted for by fellow PGA Tour members, the winner will receive the Jack Nicklaus Award.
McIlroy won the DP World Tour's Dubai Desert Classic, DP World Championship, Zurich Classic and Wells Fargo Championship during an impressive year, in which he also recorded seven top-10 finishes and missed just one cut in 19 events.
Meanwhile, Scheffler claimed his second major title at the Masters, as well as winning Olympic gold in Paris and the FedEx Cup.
Compatriot Schauffele won the first two majors of his career at the US PGA Championship and The Open, while not missing a cut in the 22 PGA Tour events he entered.
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