For the second Major in a row Graeme McDowell goes into the final round playing in the last group out.
The 2010 US Open Champion, second in that event last month, is four behind Australian Adam Scott after a third round 67 at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
McDowell was only level par for the day with six to play, but then birdied the 13th, 14th and 17th to earn himself a head-to-head with Scott.
While being in the final group did not work out as he hoped in San Francisco, it did at Pebble Beach two years ago.
The Northern Irishman, up into joint second with American Brandt Snedeker, came from three shots back on the final day to win the 2010 US Open and only last month was one putt away from forcing a play-off in the same event.
McDowell said: “I'm sure myself and Adam will be experiencing slightly different emotions tomorrow, but it will all boil down to the same thing. It will boil down to pressure. It will boil down to being scared, probably of failing more than winning.
“I can't really relate to what Adam is feeling because he's a hell of a player, and he's been a hell of a player for a very long time, but he's got the unfortunate burden of never having won a Major Championship.
“Come the first tee tomorrow, that burden will kind of be irrelevant, because we'll both be experiencing the same kind of nerves.
“When it comes to the closing it out tomorrow evening, that will be a different scenario, no doubt about it. And like I say, I just need to get as close as I can coming down the stretch tomorrow.
“The golf course is the main challenge tomorrow - I don't think we need to be worried about each other. I don't need to be worried about anybody on that leaderboard apart from myself and the golf course. Come the last five or six holes, that will start to change, and we'll see what we have to do. Up until that point it will just be a case of trying to position myself and trying to hole some putts.”
Taking advantage of Snedeker running into all sorts of problems following his Major-record-equalling first two rounds, 32 year old Scott moved to 11 under par and back out in front with a 68.
His 199 total is only one outside The Open Championship record set by Tom Lehman on the Lancashire links in 1996.
"A four shot lead doesn't seem to be very much this year on any golf tournament that I've watched," said Scott, who might also remember that compatriot Greg Norman lost a six shot advantage on the final day at the 1996 Masters Tournament.
"The good part is if I play a solid round of golf tomorrow, it will be very hard for the others to beat me and that's all I'm thinking about.
"The course is a big challenge. We didn't see anyone go really low today, so that was kind of slightly comforting to me.
"If I can play well it will be hard for someone to shoot 63 or 64. Just depends how they set it up - they put the pins in tough spots the last two days.
"I guess I've got a pretty good record from having the lead. I think when I'm in the lead I'm playing well, so I should be confident.
"I just need to do all the same stuff I've been doing that's been effective - it shouldn't really change just because it's Sunday.
"Obviously there's nerves and there's a finish line out there somewhere. But throughout my career somehow I've been able to handle that situation fairly well most of the time.
"To win would be incredible, but I don't even really want to think about it right now.
"But I'm really excited for what tomorrow holds. No matter what the result, it's going to be an incredible experience for me.
"It's fun just to get in this position. It's what I've been practising for - we'll see if the practice pays off or not."
Snedeker had not been in a single bunker or registered a single bogey in his opening 36 holes - but it was not long before that all changed.
He three-putted the 219 yard fifth from just short of the green and then found sand with his approach to the next.
It cost him another dropped shot after he came out sideways and Scott's six straight pars were good enough to take him back into the lead he had held with his opening 64.
Both birdied the long seventh, but while Scott then added a 25 foot putt for another at the 416 yard eighth Snedeker ran up his third bogey after finding the rough.
That made the gap three and when it became four after Snedeker visited another bunker at the ninth, the Nashville golfer was not even second on his own.
Alongside him was Woods. Six back after bogeys at the first and third he re-ignited his bid with an outrageous 60 footer at the difficult sixth and followed with more birdies at the seventh and ninth.
Snedeker's day got worse when he ran up a six on the long 11th, but Scott was on in two and not far away from an eagle. The tap-in birdie swept him five clear.
He did bogey the next, but six closing pars kept him in firm control and on course to become Australia's first winner of the title since Greg Norman in 1993 and their first Major Champion since Geoff Ogilvy at the 2006 US Open.
Snedeker rallied with two birdies in the last three for a 73 that pushed Woods down to fourth - and it ought to be remembered that he has never come from behind to win a Major yet.
Ideally Woods would have wanted to be in the final group alongside Scott in order to be able to apply some close-range pressure but he will have to settle for being in the penultimate flight, which tees off at 2.20pm.
"I've just got to execute my game plan," said Woods, who was sceptical about the forecast for 30mph gusting winds.
"I know the forecast is one thing but let's see what actually happens.
"But whether the wind blows or not, I've still got to go out there and post the round that I know I need to post and execute my plan."
Joint fifth are 2002 winner Ernie Els and former Masters Tournament champion Zach Johnson, who flew to Britain after capturing the John Deere Classic last Sunday.
