Monday 11 April 2016 02:05, UK
Jordan Spieth opened the door for the chasing pack with a faltering final two holes as Rory McIlroy endured a day to forget in an enthralling third round of the 80th Masters.
The blustery conditions that hampered the field on day two returned on Moving Day, but Spieth battled the elements to open up a four-shot lead until he bogeyed 17 and then doubled the last to post a disappointing 73.
Despite his late lapses, Spieth retained the lead at Augusta for the seventh round running on three under par, but McIlroy slipped five strokes behind after he failed to make a single birdie in his error-strewn 77.
Smylie Kaufman defied the conditions to propel himself into outright second with a superb 69, while Bernhard Langer turned back the clock as he returned a 70 in the company of world No 1 Jason Day to get under the card for the week.
Spieth comfortably won his duel with McIlroy, following a birdie at the second with a run of eight pars which featured a number of clutch saves, but he undid much of his hard work when he three-putted the 11th to run up a six.
He bounced back with a superb two from 15 feet at the 12th, and he picked up further shots at 15 and 16 to go four clear of the field. But he missed a short par putt at 17 and drove into trees at the last before another short putt missed the target.
McIlroy dropped his first shot of the day when he came up short with his approach to the third, and after he did well to get up and down for par at the fourth he then three-putted the seventh.
The 10th has been unkind to the 26-year-old every year, and he again came to grief when he drove into trees and could only pitch out, leading to bogey, but worse was to come at the next when another second from the pines veered left and into the water.
The resulting double-bogey dropped him to two over, and he missed a great chance to get one back after knocking his tee shot to six feet at the 12th, and he managed to par his way in to stay within touching distance of Spieth.
Kaufman fired the round of the day after a superb back nine, carding three birdies in four holes from the 13th and parring in to post the first sub-70 round since the opening day.
Langer's performance was remarkable, making three birdies against two bogeys in an outward 35 and, after another birdie at 13, he chipped in for a three at the next and made it three gains in a row at 15.
The German got into trouble at the last after his drive leaked too far right, but he nailed a 15-foot putt to limit the damage to a bogey which kept him in a share of third with Hideki Matsuyama.
The Japanese ace was three under for the tournament after his third birdie of the day at the 14th, but dropped shots at the 16th and 17th cost him the chance to play in the final pairing on Sunday.
Jason Day "ground out" a creditable 71 that featured a remarkable birdie putt from just inside 70 feet at the 14th as he closed on level par, although he was outscored by his playing partner Langer - who is 30 years older.
The world No 1 shares fifth with Dustin Johnson (72) and England's Danny Willett, who continued to impress on only his second visit to Augusta with four birdies offsetting as many bogeys in his 72.
Lee Westwood bounced back from an outward 39 with three birdies in a row from the 12th, and another at 18 capped an inward 32 - comfortably the best of the day - and propelled him to one over par.
Justin Rose is at three over after coming home in 33 to salvage a 73, while Paul Casey and Chris Wood are one further adrift.
