Ludvig Aberg did not provide the fireworks of Friday but will take a three-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of the Players Championship in Florida.
The Swede, who shot a 63 in round two to move two clear at halfway, backed that up with a one-under-par 71 to improve to 13 under overall as he chases the biggest win of his career at the PGA Tour’s $25m (£18.9m) flagship event.
But while the 26-year-old European Ryder Cup star serenely plotted his way around the famed TPC Sawgrass course, most of his closest challengers also failed to spark.
His playing partner, two-time major winner Xander Schauffele, drove the ball well but was wayward with his second shots into greens as he posted a two-over 74 to slip five off the pace.
However, unheralded 24-year-old American Michael Thorbjornsen shot a 67 to leap up to second on the leaderboard, on 10 under par.
He is one ahead of Cameron Young, who found water off the tee on the 18th and dropped two shots on the last hole to end the day as he started it, on nine under.
Young was not the only player to struggle on the last.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick was 10 under par on the 18th tee, after birdies on the 16th and 17th holes, but a scruffy double-bogey finish took the shine off his round as he signed for a 69 to be joint fourth on eight under.
He is alongside 2021 champion Justin Thomas, who, playing in his second tournament since recovering from a back operation, overcame a triple-bogey seven on the sixth to card a 72.
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre started round three at level par but posted the lowest score of the day – and his Players career – holing nine birdies in a superb seven-under 65 – to end the day six off the pace.
Justin Rose reached eight under after a birdie on the 15th but hit balls in the water on 16 and 18 as he finished with two bogeys in his final three holes to drop back to six under.
The top two in the world had ambitions of joining Jack Nicklaus as a record three-time winner of the event but both have fallen short.
World number one Scottie Scheffler put his erratic form of the opening two rounds behind him as he shot a bogey-free five-under 67, to get to four under.
But defending champion Rory McIlroy, who overcame a back injury to play this week, stayed at one over after a 72.
