American golfer Rickie Fowler tamed lightning-fast greens to vault into a one-shot lead after the third round at the Wells Fargo Championship on Saturday.
Fowler matched the best score of the day, a four-under-par 68 on a Quail Hollow course in North Carolina that turned into a beast as low humidity and a stiff breeze dried out the greens and caused nightmares for the late starters.
World No.5 Fowler, who recorded his first PGA Tour victory here in 2012, will start the final round at nine-under 207, with fellow American Roberto Castro (71) alone at eight under after bogeying the last.
Englishman Justin Rose and American James Hahn are two shots behind, while halfway leader Andrew Loupe double-bogeyed the brutal par-four 18th to fall three strokes off the pace.
Phil Mickelson fared even worse at the last. His hopes were literally washed away when he ran up a quadruple bogey after yanking his second shot into the creek.
He shot 76 to plunge eight strokes from the lead, in a tie for 19th with, among others, Australian Adam Scott and 2015 champion Rory McIlroy, whose chances of successfully defending all but disappeared.
Fowler has won once this year, on the European Tour, and had a playoff loss in the US at the Phoenix Open.
"It was nice to drive it well," Fowler said after carrying his tee shot more than 300 yards at the par-four 18th.
"That's going to be a positive going into tomorrow and I've continued to swing it better and better as the tournament's gone on."
Fowler added that he eagerly anticipated even tougher conditions on Sunday, with the greens expected to continue to dry out after heavy rain earlier in the week.
McIlroy, meanwhile, made a monster curling 80-foot birdie putt at the 17th, but the rest of his round was less impressive as he again struggled with his driver.
"Maybe (I am) a little bit too far back, but at least I can go out there tomorrow and try to give it my all and try to post a good one," he said after carding 73.
John Senden is the best-placed Australian at three under in a tie for 10th.
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