Defending champion Jordan Spieth and fellow American Xander Schauffele were still tied at the top of the Open Championship leaderboard in the early stages of their final rounds but they had Tiger Woods breathing down their necks at a blustery Carnoustie.
With the course providing a tough test on Sunday afternoon, overnight co-leader Kevin Kisner dropped three strokes in his first three holes to leave countrymen Spieth and Schauffele on their own at the summit.
But after they both got into bunker trouble at the fifth, the joint leaders each carded a bogey to fall back to eight under par - just one shot ahead of 14-time Major Champion Woods, who birdied the fourth and sixth to get to seven under.
Spieth gave himself plenty of birdie chances early in his fourth round but was unable to convert them, with both last year's champion and playing partner Schauffele opening with four straight pars to stay at nine under.
With the final pair unable to make any early headway, Woods reduced the gap with a birdie from 20 feet on the fourth before dropping in another from 15 feet on the sixth green to get to seven under.
And when Spieth was unable to save par from 30 feet at the fifth - missing the cup by the narrowest of margins - and Schauffele missed his par putt, Woods was suddenly one shot off the lead.
Italy's Francesco Molinari was another shot back after opening his round with seven straight pars, with Kisner also in a tie for fourth on six under as the wind continued to blow.
Englishman Eddie Pepperell was the leader in the clubhouse after carding five birdies and a single bogey in his closing 67.
