The Masters dream for Australian golf remains well and truly alive after Adam Scott, Jason Day and Marc Leishman stayed within two shots of the lead after the third round at Augusta National.

Scott fired a three-under-par 69 to push to six-under par for the tournament in third place, just a shot behind co-leaders Brandt Snedeker and Angel Cabrera.

American Snedeker and Argentina’s Cabrera, the 2009 Masters champion, matched Scott’s 69 to take the lead at seven-under par.

Two late bogeys resigned Day to a one-over 73, leaving him tied with Leishman (72) in fourth place just two back.

All three are looking to become the first Australian to win the Masters, arguably the last sporting Everest for the country.

Scott started his charge with a birdie at the third but couldn’t get his putts to roll in during a string of pars and then he three-putted the 10th to drop back to even on the day.

But birdies on the two back-nine par fives catapulted the Queenslander back into the thick of the action.

He finally drained a huge birdie putt on the 17th to get within one of the leaders.

Day, the overnight leader, held his nerve throughout the opening 12 holes, rattling off a run of pars to hover either in the lead or just briefly behind when Cabrera made a small run.

But he made a move to the front with a birdie on the par five 13th, grabbing the lead on his own.

Then just as Snedeker and Cabrera surged, Day stalled, three-putting the final two greens for bogey to slip down the leaderboard.

Leishman, who started the day tied second, rode the rollercoaster all day with birdies on two, seven, eight, 13 and 16 but bogeys on four, five, 11, 14 and 17.

Tiger Woods, assessed a two stroke penalty before his round started after an illegal drop during his second round, posted a 70 to be three-under and within range.

John Senden couldn’t keep the Aussie party in full swing, battling to a three-over 75, to be one-over for the tournament.