Spieth lurks as Garcia, Rose lead Masters

All ranked among the top 14 in the world. The two players in the final group are both 3 under for the day and 9 under overall, setting up a magnificent finish at the Masters.

“It would be special”, Fowler said.

“I don’t think anyone is going to put themselves far enough out front where they can cruise in”. Saturday’s round began with a logjam near the top and, while some of the names are different, not much is different in terms of how close the players are to one another.

He enters Round 4 in a three-way tie for fourth place with Ryan Moore and Charley Hoffman. Hoffman, though, rallied back after a mistake that might’ve unraveled many with two steady, closing pars to remain two off the lead.

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“I’m in a great position going into tomorrow”, said the 37-year-old Rose after carding a five-under par 67, the day’s lowest score. “I’m a major champion (2013 U.S. Open), but I’m looking for more and I’m certainly looking for my first Masters and my first green jacket”. Nelson ran off birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th holes, and while Hogan answered with birdies on the next two holes, he never caught up.

Ten players are under par heading into the final round, eight within five shots of the lead, meaning Sunday afternoon has the potential to be one of the Masters’ most exciting – and pressure-packed – finales ever.

There is a similar “dam the torpedoes” quality to Spieth’s play and the 23-year-old Texan seems to have the same unique bond with Augusta National that Palmer had.

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself but it would mean …”

While Fowler and Pieters struggled to stay in touch, Spieth was building on the momentum he had created with a second-round 69 which wiped out the pain of a first-day quadruple bogey nine at the 15th.

A second day of high winds left the top pack – all seeking a first major win – level on four-under par 140 through two rounds. “But overall, I played well”.

“If someone has made a birdie or eagle on the back nine the leaderboard changes and everyone reacts to that, so you have to focus on yourself and block it out”. His approach shot on the par-5 13th hole looked headed straight for Rae’s Creek, but the ball magically held up in the rough on the bank of the creek. Garcia made a chip and a putt for a birdie.

“This tournament was just not for me”, said the South African, a Masters runner-up in 2000 and 2004.

Moore, 34, is a five-time Tour victor with two top 10s in majors, while Scott, Schwartzel and two-time runner-up Westwood form a formidable chasing pack.

Fowler is chasing a first major victory, having been in contention in all four of them three years ago. “I’ll be able to tell you better tomorrow night whether those missed opportunities hurt my chances”. “Just this week, how I feel physically, mentally, how my game feels, how I feel just about life”.

“Yesterday (a 69 after an opening 75) was key, I had to have it, and I felt great after the round”, said Spieth, who has a victory and two ties for second in his three Masters. “It feels like I’m right where I’m supposed to be”.

A classic frontrunner, it will require an Augusta comeback for the ages for Spieth to don Green Jacket on Sunday. My head says Rose. “These are wonderful story lines”.

Rose, who became the first English victor of the US Open for 43 years at Merion in 2013, carded a third round of 67 to finish six under par, a total matched by Ryder Cup team-mate Sergio Garcia.

Australian Adam Scott, the 2013 champion, is poised at three under with 2011 victor Charl Schwartzel of South Africa one further back and England’s Lee Westwood and debutant Thomas Pieters of Belgium the only other players under par at one under.