World No.1 Adam Scott continues to produce stellar golf, pushing himself into the mix for a second consecutive win on the US PGA tour.
Coming off his win at the Crowne Plaza Invitational where he completed a career Texas Slam, Scott fired a third round four-under 68 in the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio to move to nine-under and into fourth place.
He will attempt to chase down current Masters champion Bubba Watson on Sunday from three back after the American carded a 69 to lead the way at 12-under-par.
Watson holds a one-shot buffer at the top from unheralded American Scott Langley (67) at 11-under while Scott's 2013 Presidents Cup teammate Hideki Matsuyama (69) of Japan sits third at 10-under.
Scott opened his round with six straight pars and looked to be losing ground but birdies on the seventh and ninth holes to close out the front side kicked the Queenslander into gear.
Another birdie on the 11th continued the roll before a 25-foot eagle putt found the bottom of the cup on the 15th to pull him within two of the lead.
A final hole bogey took a little gloss of an otherwise sublime round.
"I'm really happy with how I played today. It's going to take a great round tomorrow, by the looks of it, to have a chance but I had to have at least that today to stay somewhat with them, Scott said.
"You just want to be up there. And that's why I was happy with my round today, I'm thereabouts and heading towards the top of the leaderboard."
Scott won back-to-back tournaments in Australia last November at the Australian Masters and Australian PGA Championship but admits the US tour is a much tougher beast to tame.
"It's tough to win out here. And back-to-back is very difficult and I've never done it on the PGA tour, the 11-time US tour winner said. So it's maybe one of the hardest things there is to do for me."
Jason Day is quietly finding some form in his return from injury, shooting a round of 70 to push to five-under and a tie for 20th.
"I'm happy with my progression but would like a low round tomorrow so this is not just a training run," Day said.
Marc Leishman is a shot further back at four-under while Aaron Baddeley had a run of six birdies in a row at one point but settled for a rollercoaster two-under 70 to end at three-under.
Greg Chalmers battled to a 75 to be near the back of the pack.
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