Joel Parkinson will need to deliver in his final competitive event to walk away with a fourth Triple Crown after being bounced out in the fourth round of the Vans World Cup of Surfing.
Gold Coast's 2012 world champion will retire following next week's Billabong Pipe Masters, which serves as both the championship tour finale and closing leg of Hawaii's revered Triple Crown.
Parkinson won the Hawaiian Open to begin his Triple Crown charge in style but dropped to second in the rankings after his fourth-round exit on Friday (AEST).
Ezekiel Lau won the tournament - like the Hawaiian Open at Haleiwa, part of the secondary qualifying circuit - later in the day on home turf to jump to third in the rankings.
Byron Bay product Soli Bailey was fifth at Sunset Beach in his best performance of the season and sits fourth in the Triple Crown standings.
Brazil's Jesse Mendes leads the race after a fifth and second in the opening two events, with his performances in the past fortnight also locking up a spot on the elite championship tour next year.
The Pipe Masters window opens on Sunday (AEST), with Sunshine Coast's Julian Wilson a chance of claiming the overall world title if he can take maximum points at Banzai Pipeline.
Triple Crown Standings
* Jesse Mendes (BRA) 13,300 points
* Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12,300
* Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 12,100
* Soli Bailey (AUS) 9100
* Jordy Smith (RSA) 8900
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