Tiger Woods returns to Sawgrass for the final nine holes of the Players Championship in Florida today one stroke ahead of Masters champion Vijay Singh and little-known American Jerry Kelly.
For the second year running, however, a rain delay of nearly three hours removed hope of the richest event in golf finishing on schedule.
After an outward 33 highlighted by a 30-yard chip-in for eagle at the long second, Woods is on 12-under-par and Singh and Kelly are both 11-under.
Judging by the way he started, the hold-up had done nothing to harm Woods's attempt to go to the Masters in a week's time on the back of two wins.
The 12 overnight leaders had still to tee-off when the storm struck at 1 p.m., but once they had the chance to play there was little Kelly could do to protect the advantage he had built so impressively on the first three days.
Woods sank a seven-foot birdie putt on the first and then produced more magic on the long second when he sank his long chip down the length of the green.
Kelly, 117th in the world and chasing his first US Tour win, two-putted for birdie but was only joint leader as a result and when he three-putted the fourth Woods was out in front on his own for the first time.
He did lose the lead when Singh birdied the fourth, fifth and seventh, but the Fijian was in deep rough at the 583-yard ninth and took a bogey six.
In contrast, Woods played the hole beautifully in the fading light, laying up and then pitching to eight feet. The birdie putt followed.
The round is Woods's last before the Masters starting on Thursday week, when he will be trying to become the first player in golf history to hold all four majors at the same time.
He already produced a moment at Sawgrass which will be played time and time again in reviews of his career.
That was the amazing putt from nearly 50 feet at the 17th hole of his exciting third-round 66.