Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown teamed to shoot an eight-under 64 in better ball to take a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the PGA Tour's Zurich Classic.
The duo lost on the fourth hole of a playoff to Australian Cameron Smith and Jonas Blixt last year and are in contention again atop a crowded leaderboard at 20-under.
Tony Finau and Daniel Summerhays shot a bogey-free 63, and Michael Kim and Andrew Putnam teamed for a 66 to finish one shot behind Kisner and Brown.
There were 13 teams within four shots of the lead.
Several teams went low in the easier better-ball format.
The teams of Brice Garnett-Chesson Hadley, Billy Horschel-Scott Piercy and Jason Dufner-Pat Perez all shot 61s to jump into contention.
Australian veterans Greg Chalmers and Cameron Percy combined to shoot a seven-under 65 to be 13 under in a tie for 24th, along with countryman Matt Jones and his American teammate Chad Campbell, who slid down the field after a 70.
Jason Day and Ryan Ruffels carded a 67 to be 11 under and nine shots off the pace.
The format switches to alternate shot for the final round on Sunday.
Kisner had another great day at TPC Louisiana, rolling in putts seemingly from everywhere while Brown made a clutch birdie on the closing hole.
"It was a dogfight for us today," Brown said.
"I felt like Kevin played great. I kind of left him high and dry a couple times."
But Brown came up big on the par-5 18th when his third shot from a greenside bunker settled within 2 feet.
Summerhays and Finau, both from Utah, played together last year at TPC Louisiana but missed the cut.
"I think our games are just flat-out better this year, this time around," Summerhays said.
"We've definitely picked up each other when the other one has kind of been on the outs."
Garnett and Hadley were two shots off the lead, while the Horschel-Piercy and Dufner-Perez teams were three shots back.
"You had to put it up today, because tomorrow it's hard to shoot a low one going alternate shot," Piercy said.
Masters champion Patrick Reed and Patrick Cantlay shot 66 and sit six shots off the lead.
Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar, who shot 67 on Friday in alternate shot, could only manage a 68 in better ball and were seven shots back.
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