The apparently well-oiled machine that had been Bubba Watson for the first two rounds stalled in this third round of the 78th Masters; and a whole pile of players elbowed their way into contention on a fascinating Saturday at Augusta National, where Jordan Spieth - some seven months younger than Tiger Woods when he won his first green jacket back in 1997 - joined Watson in a tie on 211, five-under-par.
With ten players separated by three shots at the top of the 54-hole leader board, it is very much all to play for. And even players further back - among them US Open champion Justin Rose, four back after recovering from an opening 76 with improving rounds of 70 and 69 - will have hopes of mounting a final day charge; Sunday's back nine is traditionally set up to tempt aggressive play as players search for birdies.
Rory McIlroy had a cold putter until the closing two holes - rolling in a 30 footer on the 17th and holing from six feet on the finishing hole - for a 71 for 219 to move up 22 places from his starting position.
The absence of Tiger Woods has only served to showcase new, emerging golf stars.
If Spieth were to go on and win, he would be the youngest ever Masters champion. Woods was 21 years, three months and 14 days when he collected his first Masters title; Spieth would be 20 years, eight months and 16 days.
And, in reminding us that older generation still have plenty to offer, the pony-tailed 50-year-old Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez shot a best-of-the-championship 66 in moving to within two strokes of the leaders. If he were to win, Jimenez would overtake Jack Nicklaus - who was 46 when he claimed his last green jacket - as the oldest champion.
Watson’s highlight came early, when he eagled the Par 5 second - having opened with a bogey - but that was as good as it got as he failed to birdie any of the remaining Par 5s and dropped shots on the fourth, sixth, seventh and 16th - in a nervy round.
In contrast, Spieth - playing in his first Masters - revelled in the atmosphere and showed no signs of nerves with back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th moving him into a share of the lead and giving him a gilt-edged opportunity to create golfing history.
“It seems by the scores to be playing as difficult as it has in quite a while, and with that, you have to just accept par and accept the fact that you’re going to have some wicked fast putts and you’ve got to really be on your game on your speed control, even when you do hit the smart shot,” said Spieth of how he had approached his round.
In a sign of his maturity, Spieth actually took time out to approach Jack Nickalaus and Ben Crenshaw earlier in the week to pick their brains. He also talked to Crenshaw's caddie Carl Jackson. He put the advice into practice. "(Saturday) was moving day, a day to stay patient and try and get myself a later tee time (on Sunday), and that goal was accomplished.
“(Sunday) is about seeing how I can control my game and emotions out on the golf course against guys that have even won here recently. So they have been in the position I haven’t. Doesn’t necessarily mean, I dont think, that they have an advantage in any way. I think that I’m very confident in the way things are going, and really looking forward to (the final round).”
