Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson were two of three players to shoot a five-under par 67 yesterday but Jordan Spieth maintained his impressive consistency at Augusta to hold a four-shot lead going into today’s final day.

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Three-time Masters champion Mickelson was off to a flying start with three consecutive birdies and was four-under par at the turn but a pair of bogeys at 11 and 17 curtailed his progress as Spieth continued to thrive as the front-runner.

The 21-year-old Texan shot his highest round of the tournament so far – a two-under 72 – but displayed nerves of steel throughout, none more so on 18th when he had a par-saving putt that would have reduced his lead to just three shots.

Spieth did wobble with bogeys on 4, 7 and a double on 17 – giving the chasing pack hope going into today – but his scoring was steady enough for him to maintain a decent enough buffer on Rose, Mickelson and playing partner Charley Hoffman who lies fourth, six shots back after his one-under 71.

Second-placed Rose matched his first round score after an inauspicious start which saw him bogey the first and fifth holes. However, the Englishman fought back with seven birdies and six pars to keep the heat on Spieth and, along with Mickelson, look the most likely to catch the 21-year-old.

Mickelson sank a 40-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th to move within touching distance of Spieth and it would have been closer had he not sent a birdie putt a little wide on the 18th, leaving him five shots adrift of his countryman.

One man expected to do the bulk of the scoring yesterday, Dustin Johnson, never got going with the big-hitting American enduring a subdued round of one-over par 73 which saw him drop down the leaderboard.

After shooting three eagles during Friday’s second round, Johnson could only manage four birdies in amongst a messy card of three bogeys and one double.