Scottie Scheffler carded a chaotic and captivating 71 on day three of the Masters Tournament to put himself in pole position to win a second Green Jacket in three years at Augusta National Golf Club.
The World Number One led by two after three holes but found himself three behind just after the turn before recovering to get to seven under and lead by one from fellow American Collin Morikawa, who carded a 69.
Max Homa carded 17 pars and a single bogey to sit at five under, one shot clear of Swede Ludvig Åberg, who led at one point on his Masters debut en route to a 70.
Nicolai Højgaard was another debutant to be on top of the leaderboard on Moving Day but he finished at two under alongside Cameron Davis and Xander Schauffele, one shot behind Bryson DeChambeau.
The headlines belonged to 2022 champion Scheffler, however, who has finished first-first-second in his last three events and drove down Magnolia Lane as the clearest favourite for Masters victory since Tiger Woods was at his dominant best.
"I'm proud of how I played today," he said. "It was a good fight out there.
"The golf course was extremely challenging. The greens were very firm, very fast, and it was extremely difficult again today. So probably looking for more of the same tomorrow.
"It's nice to have that experience (of winning) but going into tomorrow, that's really all that it is. And I can reflect on some of that stuff from that round, and this is a position I'm very familiar with. I'm excited for the challenge of going and trying to win the golf tournament tomorrow.
"But at the end of the day, it's all about my process and trying to stay patient out there and hit all my shots and hit quality putts as well."
Scheffler started the day in a share of the lead but soon led by two on his own as he chipped in on the first and holed from 34 feet on the third.
Playing partner Højgaard had bogeyed the first after going over the green but he recovered the shot with an up-and-down on the par-five second.
Ups, downs and positioned for Sunday. #themasters pic.twitter.com/fPViVs6o1R
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2024
Another up-and-down on the par-five eighth was followed by a chip to four feet on the next and incredibly, he would have the solo lead on the tenth, holing from 48 feet as Scheffler three-putted after missing the green to surrender a double-bogey.
A Højgaard bogey on the next meant we had a four-way tie at the top and it was soon five as Åberg hit the summit.
He got up and down from the sand on the second, left himself three feet on the fifth and five feet on the ninth and then played a nice pitch to close range on the 13th.
But he then made two bogeys in a row, with Højgaard registering five on the bounce, and it was Morikawa who was left alone at the top as his rivals faltered.
The two-time Major Champion had made a hot start, birdieing the first, making another gain from the sand on the second and holing from 11 feet on the third.
He bogeyed the sixth but got the shot back on the eighth and a run of pars was then enough to give him the lead.
Scheffler had followed his double on the tenth with a bogey on the 11th but he hit back on the par-five 13th, holing a 30-footer for eagle to get back into a share with Morikawa.
And he completed his remarkable comeback on the par-five 15th, playing a lovely deft chip and holing from 11 feet to lead alone before dropping a shot on the 17th and picking it back up on the last.
DeChambeau holed out from 77 yards on the last in a 75 that also contained three other birdies, five bogeys and a double.
Dane Højgaard ended the day with a 74, one shot more than Davis, while Schauffele signed for a 70.
