Brooks Koepka will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the 87th Masters Tournament but will have to fight off a stellar chasing pack including Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland if he is to claim the Green Jacket.
Koepka saw his four-shot overnight lead cut in half over the final 12 holes of the delayed third round on Sunday morning.
The four-time Major Champion heads into round four - which will take place on Sunday afternoon - on 11 under par after signing for a third-round 73, two strokes ahead of World Number Three Rahm.
What had looked like becoming a two-horse race developed into a much more open contest as Hovland reeled off five successive birdies from the 11th hole to reach eight under par, while Patrick Cantlay sits two shots further back in fourth place after his 68.
Koepka had been in possession of a four-shot lead over nearest challenger Rahm when play was suspended on Saturday afternoon due to unrelenting rain, with the final group on the seventh green.
But there was an early two-shot swing when the third round resumed on Sunday, as Koepka failed to get up and down from a bunker at the seventh and playing partner Rahm confidently holed his birdie putt from nine feet.
Both players birdied the eighth before Rahm produced an impressive up-and-down on the ninth to remain two shots back at the turn.
After Koepka had pulled off a stunning par save of his own at the tenth, his lead was cut to a single shot when he bogeyed the short 12th.
But a bogey from Rahm at the par-five 13th restored Koepka's advantage to two strokes once more and when the Spaniard dropped another shot on the 16th, the American was three clear.
How it stands with 18 holes to play. #themasters
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However, Koepka missed his close-range par putt on the 17th to open the door to the chasing pack.
Koepka said: "It's going to be an interesting afternoon. If the wind keeps blowing and keeps swirling like this down there, anything can happen. You've just got to be in control of your ball."
Rahm vowed to focus on his own game as he looks to chase down Koepka.
He said: "It's important to be in the final pairing, the closest pursuer.
"I can't be worrying too much about what he's doing. My objective today is to focus on my own game and what I can control."
