Rory McIlroy increased his lead to seven strokes as the third round of the US Open Championship unfolded.
Swede Fredrik Jacobson showed what was possible by charging from 25th to second with six birdies in his first 11 holes.
But as he failed to get up and down from a bunker at the short 13th McIlroy, forced to wait until 3.50pm to resume his bid to succeed compatriot Graeme McDowell as champion, almost holed from the sand at the 470 yard fourth for another great save.
The first had come on the 466 yard third. His drive was pushed into thick rough and with branches in front of him he opted to chip out, then pitched from 100 yards to three feet.
By then playing partner Y E Yang, the only man within nine shots of the Northern Irishman overnight, had slipped seven behind, straying into a bunker off the tee at the short second and failing even to make the green from there.
McIlroy had resumed on 11 under par, his 131 for the first 36 holes setting a new record for the 111-year-old championship and his six stroke advantage equalling that of Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach in 2000.
McIlroy was much more solid on the fifth and when he made a 12 footer he was eight clear and back to the record 12 under par mark that only he, Woods and Gil Morgan have ever reached in the event.
He and Jacobson were not the only Europeans on the leaderboard. Back-to-form Henrik Stenson got to three under before bogeying the 12th and World Number Two Lee Westwood, continuing to hit back from his opening 75, was joint ninth as well when he birdied the 13th and 14th.
Making it into the top ten from 84th on Thursday night was some effort from Westwood, but when he rolled in a 20 foot eagle putt on the long 16th he was in second spot - albeit seven behind his young stablemate.
If it stayed like that what a last day pairing it would be. Westwood was five under for his last four holes.
McIlroy could not birdie the long sixth after driving into more rough - he missed a nine foot chance - and only parred the 143 yard seventh, where the tee was well up and the pin in a very accessible place.
And he had to settle for pars on the long sixth and almost driveable eighth after driving into rough both times.
Australian Jason Day, joint runner-up to Charl Schwartzel there, burst alongside Westwood in second place when he holed from 35 feet at the 16th and almost as far on the last for a brilliant 65.
One further back in fourth were Yang, Swede Fredrik Jacobson and Americans Matt Kuchar and Robert Garrigus.
Westwood and playing partner Jacobson (66) had a better-ball of 60.
With a chance to go back to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking with a third place finish, Westwood had come home in 30 all on his own, but as he signed his card McIlroy found the green in two at the long ninth and two-putted for his second birdie of the day.
He was back to 13 under, the championship record mark he had reached after the 17th hole of his second round, and was eight in front once more.
McIlroy might also have been pleased that Day's 65 meant he could not be paired with Westwood on the final day.
In Dubai two years ago when they battled for the European Number One spot he admitted he preferred not to be going head-to-head with him.
McIlroy went long into sand on the tenth and missed from seven feet - his first bogey of the week in addition to his double on the 18th on Friday.
Reflecting on his round, Westwood said: "I started slowly, but then caught fire," he said. "My goal today was just to try to catch whoever was in second, but I have had big leads and they are difficult sometimes.
"The only thing that matters how I play and I have to play well."
A drive into more rough on the 11th - the fifth fairway he had missed out of eight - meant a little more pressure on McIlroy's shoulders.
But he caught a good lie, hit his second to 14 feet and read it beautifully for a birdie that fully deserved his fist-pump as he went eight clear again.
The birdie on the 11th was absolutely vital to settle McIlroy back down and three holes later another superb iron shot to five feet set up another.
It was one that not only took him nine in front, but also to the previously unchartered waters of 14 under in this the toughest of the four Majors.
McIlroy failed to birdie the 16th after straying into sand with his second, but although his lead was trimmed to eight it could have been worse. Yang, joint second again after his birdie at the 14th, missed a seven foot eagle opportunity.
