text: Has this brilliant 79th Masters got one final twist to reveal come the final round on Sunday? No-one would be surprised following the dramatic events of the third round, when the three biggest names in the sport combined with Justin Rose to throw the veritable kitchen sink at the cool 21 year old Texan Jordan Spieth. The young American coped so adeptly he gave up just one shot of his five stroke halfway lead and will partner Rose in the final round armed with a useful advantage. But there was just enough vulnerability shown in his finish to offer encouragement not only to Rose but Masters specialist Phil Mickelson, who will start five behind. Spieth is the third player his age to take a healthy lead into the final round. It worked out perfectly for Tiger Woods in 1997 but not so well for Rory McIlroy in 2011, who collapsed under the pressure over the final nine holes. ‘I think Jordan will cope better than I did because he was in the final group last year,’ said McIlroy. ‘I certainly expect him to cope a lot better than I did.’ Jordan Spieth carded a double bogey on the 17th but still set a new 54-hole scoring record at the Masters . At 16 under par, Spieth broke the record shared by Ray Floyd and Tiger Woods by a single shot . The other thing Spieth has in his favour is that this is the fourth tournament in a row when he has been in the final group in the final round. He won one and finished runner-up in the other two. If he wins, he will go to number two in the world and the rivalry with Rory that might dominate golf for the next decade will have begun. Spieth looked to have taken the tournament beyond everyone else when he went seven strokes clear with just two holes to play. But while Rose finished off with a staggering fifth birdie in his last six holes, Spieth was running up his first double bogey of the tournament at the 17th. And at the last there was a horrible fanned approach that threatened to trim the lead to just three, before Spieth conjured up a remarkable up and down to give him momentum heading into what promises to be another momentous Masters Sunday. Plucky journeyman Charley Hoffman lies fourth while Woods and McIlroy both shot 68 to be tied fifth and will play together on Sunday. But at ten shots off the pace they are surely too far behind. As for Rose, the 2013 US Open champion has given himself the chance of seizing another major following his astonishing finish. Pick of the quintet of birdies came at the par three 16th, where he holed a spectacular bunker shot. ‘I think it’s important to be in the final group, it’s where you want to be,’ said the 34 year old Englishman. ‘Jordan is obviously playing some very special golf but I have definitely given myself an opportunity.’ World No 1 Rory McIlroy and 14-time major winner Tiger Woods were in a five-way tie for fifth . Finally, the real McIlroy showed upon the par fives at Augusta on Saturday . What a day we had on Saturday. It was as if Rose and the big three in terms of charisma had come up with an unspoken pact and declared: ‘Ok, let’s see if this kid Jordan is really destined for greatness.’ For those who thought the runaway halfway leader had merely to turn up to claim the green jacket, we had McIlroy playing like the world number one and Tiger confounding the sceptics with a bravura display that made you feel the last 12 months had all been a bad dream. There was the glorious sight of Mickelson playing once more like he owns Augusta. And then there was Rose, who has had a lot of good days at Augusta in his ten Masters tournaments and now was enjoying one more. How would you like to see all that taking place in your rear view mirror, at this of all courses? In short, for five simply incredible hours the roars were echoing all over this sacred property and for most of that time they were funnelling in Spieth’s direction. This was undoubtedly as severe an examination as you could imagine for a third round. Just as well, then, that the creed that has served him so well already during his phenomenal 18 months as a professional just happens to be: ’Whenever the heat is on, ensure you focus just that little bit more.’ And that, for the most part, is just what he did. Only at the end did he look like stumbling, but that fabulous up and down at the last kept everything upbeat. Tiger Woods put on a vintage show, he was astonishing, electric, inspired and charismatic . Woods' girlfriend Lindsey Vonn showed her support during the third round on Saturday . The previous 54 hole standard of 15 under was set by Ray Floyd in 1976 and Woods in 1997. But the youngest first round leader in Masters history and the man who set a new low mark for 36 holes on Friday had reached 16 under after a 70. What made this so impressive was that, for the first time, a few errors crept into his previously immaculate game. During the round he would have three three putts and his first double. When things like this happen here it’s so easy for the mind to unravel but Spieth kept his composure. At the par five second that peerless putting stroke rapped home another birdie putt and one more at the sixth. At the treacherous 9th he seemed to have left himself a difficult second shot, from a downhill lie to an elevated green. Spieth knocked his approach to 6ft and holed that one as well to turn in 35 shots. In its own way, this was the equal of his spectacular bouts of scoring in the first two rounds. So it continued. The two stringent par fours to start the back nine were safely negotiated before his tee shot to the par three 12th came down 8ft from the flag. You can guess what happened next, and he birdied the 13th as well. He would threeputt the 14th, however – and then came the next test. Phil Mickelson played like the Masters specialist to finish the third round on 11 under . Justin Rose reeled off five birdies in the last six holes to move into second place on 12 under . As he made his way down the 15th fairway, first Mickelson and then Rose made amazing birdies at the 16th to send the crowd into raptures. How would he respond? Well, at the 15th he calmly stroked a four iron into the middle of the green for a two putt birdie. Best of all was the eight iron he struck to 8ft at the 16th for yet another birdie. McIlroy, Woods and Mickelson all shot sumptuous front nines of 32 shots. Mickelson was wearing a salmon pink shirt in honour of Arnold Palmer. Some of his great attacking play had been delivered wearing just such a colour and Mickelson was doing justice to the memory. Eight strokes off the pace at the start of play, he’s still in the ball game but will need another magic-filled round today. Add McIlroy’s wonderful back nine 31 from Friday afternoon to his front nine 32 yesterday, and you would have a round that equalled the course record of 63. Amazing how the switch flipped for him at the halfway point in the second round. So tentative to that point and perhaps a touch nervous with all that was at stake, it was as if he looked at a leaderboard that showed him 17 shots off the lead and a stroke outside the projected halfway cut and decided: ‘To hell with it, let’s go for it.’ Finally, the real McIlroy showed up on the par fives, those scoring holes that have given him such problems in recent years. An eagle at the 13th on Friday was followed by an eagle on the second in his third round. He was off and running. He birdied the long 8th plus the 13th and 15th for his best-ever return on the par fives during a single round at the Masters. A poor eight iron to the 16th cost him, however, as a 6ft par putt was dribbled miserably. Another bogey at the last as well meant a 68. And so the likely list of winners stands at just three – Spieth, Rose and Mickelson. It should be some final day. It has been some tournament.
target: Jordan Spieth set a Masters record 54-hole total of 16-under-par .
  The American carding a 70 to take a four-shot lead into the final round .
  Justin Rose collected five birdies on his final six holes to go 12 under .
  Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods were among those at six under after 68s .