Ryder Cup hero Martin Kaymer doubled his advantage over Jordan Spieth at the top of The Players Championship leaderboard with an outward 35 in Florida.
Kaymer, seeking a first win for 18 months, held a two shot advantage after his Sawgrass course record-equalling 63 on Thursday and was five clear of the field when he added a 69 on Friday for a halfway total of 132, 12 under par.
But that lead was cut to a single shot by rising star Spieth, the American the only player in the field without a single bogey in the first 36 holes, and the Masters Tournament runner-up drew level when Kaymer bogeyed the fourth after missing the green.
However, the 29 year old German birdied the sixth from nine feet and fired a brilliant approach to within half that distance at the ninth to reach 13 under and turn two ahead of Spieth.
Spain’s Sergio Garcia was three under through 11 holes to join John Senden in a share of third on nine under, while Lee Westwood had moved into a share of fifth on eight under thanks largely to an eagle from four feet at the long second.
Another European Ryder Cup star, Francesco Molinari, was a shot further back after a third round 67.
Spieth missed a great chance to close the gap when he was unable to convert from four feet on the tenth, while Westwood was grateful to remain in touch with the leaders after saving par on the 11th despite hitting his approach to the par five into the water to the right of the green.
A wayward tee shot cost Garcia a shot on the 13th and after a birdie on the 12th, Westwood did well to drop just one shot on the 14th after twice tangling with the thick rough to the right of the fairway.
That meant the leading pair had a chance to pull away from the field, Spieth getting within a shot of Kaymer again with a birdie on the par five 11th, where the German could only three-putt from 80 feet for par.
