Sergio Garcia was on the cusp of his first win in a major on Sunday taking a three shot advantage into the final round of the British Open.
Only 40-year-old American Steve Stricker could keep anywhere close to the Spaniard and he needed a course-record equalling 64 on Saturday to do that.
After him, a chasing pack of seven golfers, featuring former Champion Ernie Els, Irish pair Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley and back-to-form American Chris DiMarco, is six strokes adrift.
Tiger Woods is two shots further back in joint 15th place his hopes of becoming just the second man in 125 years to win three Opens in a row all but extinguished.
It’s 27-year-old Garcia’s Open for the taking and the way he played in a bogey-free round of 68 on Saturday left no doubt that he is in the best form of his career mainly thanks to his switch to a new belly-putter.
”I’m not going to do anything different,” he said of his strategy for Sunday.
”I’m going to go out there and try to play my own game, just like I’ve been doing every single day and just believe in myself as much as possible.
”I think if I am in control of the way I am hitting the ball it’s right there for the taking.”
If Garcia does hold aloft the Claret Jug on Sunday evening it will represent a remarkable turnaround from eight years ago when the then 19-year-old prodigy made a tearful exit after rounds of 89 and 83 which remain the two worst rounds of his professional career.
Since then, he has competed in 31 majors, made 12 top 10 finishes, five of which have come in the last six Opens, but failed to nab the breakthrough win that many felt he was destined for.
He will be only too aware though that the name Carnoustie is synonomous with collapse following the events of eight years ago the last time the Open was played at the Angus links.
On that occasion Jean Van de Velde’s three-stroke lead evaporated on the final hole and Paul Lawrie won after having started the final day 10 strokes behind the leader.
Lawrie’s achievement provided some hope for Woods who has looked out of sorts with his swing since arriving in Scotland.
His second round of 74 was his worst in the Open for five years and he is now looking at the very distinct possibility of going a calendar year without adding to his haul of 12 majors.
The American has never won one of the big four when trailing going into the final round and on numerous occasions he has been closer than eight shots off the pace.
”I’m in the position I’ve dealt myself with. I need to play well tomorrow and hopefully get the title,” was his no-too-confident sounding assessment of his chances.
Woods was paired with compatriot Rich Beem, with Garcia and Stricker set to go out last at 1.20 GMT.
Conditions were chill and damp again with a steady rain soaking the early starters as they trudged their way round the sodden course. – Sapa-AFP