Jim Furyk compiled a typically-steady four-under-par 68 to earn a one-shot lead after the third round of the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The former US Open champion took advantage of benign conditions to fire five birdies - and just one bogey - on the Quail Hollow course softened by Friday's rain.
Furyk was at 11-under 205 after the first 54 holes with South Africans Retief Goosen (65) and Trevor Immelman (66) just one stroke behind.
Goosen made his move on the back nine, collecting seven birdies in eight holes before bogeying the last. Halfway leader Bo Van Pelt slipped two shots off the pace after a third-round 73.
In all, 10 players were within five shots of the lead, unlike last year when Sergio Garcia held a six-shot cushion going into the final round - only to lose to Vijay Singh in a play-off.
"It's not like I hit every shot perfect, but I have a lot of confidence in my game right now," Furyk said. "I feel I can get the driver in the fairway and I'm hitting my irons pretty well.
"When I've made mistakes, I've been able to get the ball up and down or get the ball in positions I can play from. I need to keep doing those same things tomorrow."
Goosen described the par-four 11th as the turning point of his day. "I missed the green and chipped in," Goosen said. "That really got me going. From that point I made everything. I was moaning a bit on the front nine (because) I never really got anything going. On the back nine, it suddenly all came at once. Everybody was making birdies today.
"The fairways were a lot easier to hit and the greens were holding (after Friday's heavy rain)."
Immelman, meanwhile, made a slow start, but an eagle at the par-five seventh jump-started his round and he played the final 12 holes in seven under. He capped his day with a birdie at the 18th, the hardest hole on the course.
"I was really hanging in there and then I started to find a little bit of form on the last few holes," said the 26-year-old Immelman, who is playing his first full season on the PGA Tour.
"I'm starting to find my feet a little bit. The last three years I've always known I was only going to have between 10 and 12 events, and when you've got that in the back of your mind, you're almost trying to force the issue."
Masters champion Phil Mickelson had a miserable day, shooting a dismal 73 to fall 11 shots off the pace.
"I'm just playing poorly and I think I might need a little break and try to get refreshed before the US Open," he said.
