Tiger Woods tanked, former champions Graeme McDowell and Jim Furyk took charge, and John Senden gave Australia hope going into the final round of the US Open.
Woods’ challenge for a 15th major championship title weakened considerably on Saturday with a scratchy five-over-par 75 third round on the brutally tough Olympic Club course in San Francisco, leaving 2003 winner Furyk (70) and 2010 winner McDowell (68) with golden chances to claim their second major.
That pair were tied in front at one-under 209, with joint overnight leader Woods five strokes back in a tie for 14th.
Queenslander Senden fired an impressive 68 to be tied eighth, four strokes from the leaders.
Swede Fredrick Jacobson (68) was in outright third on 211 with Lee Westwood (67), Ernie Els (68) and Blake Adams (70) tied fourth at 212.
Renowned for his sweet ball striking, 41-year-old Senden gave himself a real chance to claim his first major, and the first by an Australian in six years.
“I’ve been getting more and more experience in the major championships but Sunday with the pressure will be tough,” Senden said.
“But I’ll just be going out there, playing my game and do the best I can. I think we have a chance to give it a shot tomorrow.”
After three rounds Senden was tied sixth in stats for fairways hit and tied second for greens in regulation.
But he’ll need a few more putts to drop, similar to his impressive curling birdie putt on the last on Saturday, as he is ranked tied 65th of the remaining 72 players in putting.
“Finishing it off like that today has given me that little bit of belief that the putts are rolling in and with these difficult greens I need to keep doing that,” Senden said.
“I felt like I really had to stay fresh and focussed on my routines and not get bogged down on the greens.
“I have got to set that same challenge for tomorrow. I have to be able to keep enjoying it and keep the freedom in my game because anything can happen out here.”
Not once in his 14 major wins has Woods come from behind after three rounds to claim victory.
“Tomorrow I’m just going to have to shoot a good round and post early and see what happens,” Woods said.
“There’s going to be a bunch of guys there with a chance. It’s not like where you have to go out there and shoot 62 and 63. This is a US Open.
“You just need to hang around because anything can happen at the last three holes.
“I’m definitely still in the ball game. I’m only five back and that’s certainly do-able on this golf course for sure.”
McDowell, who won his US Open just down the freeway at Pebble Beach, will be striving to make it three on the trot for Northern Ireland after Rory McIlroy’s 2011 triumph.
He was having nothing of talk of a shootout with Furyk.
“It’s wide open,” McDowell said.
“I look at guys at two, three and four over par in this tournament, who I really think they have a realistic shot to win tomorrow.
“There’s a fine line in this golf course between 67, 68 and 75, 76.”
Of the other Australians, Adam Scott shot his second consecutive even par round to be six-over in a tie for 27th, still an outside chance should he manufacture a low round on Sunday.
Alistair Presnell couldn’t maintain his lofty positions of the opening two rounds, shooting a 75 to drop to nine-over.
Rod Pampling (74) dropped to 11-over par while Jason Day had an outing to forget shooting a 76 to be 12-over.