Sergio Garcia bogeyed the final two holes to fall three strokes behind surprise leader Paul Goydos after the third round at the Players Championship on Saturday.
Garcia was tied for the lead after a birdie at the par-five 16th, and momentum seemed to be on his side when he hit a lovely shot to 10 feet at the par-three 17th at the Sawgrass TPC, but his first putt trickled four feet beyond the hole and he missed the comeback attempt.
"I'm a little bit disappointed because I feel the last two days I shot pretty much the highest I could," said Garcia.
The Spaniard compounded his problems by dropping another shot at the par-four 18th after pushing his drive into the rough and having to lay up with his second shot.
"I feel like I'm putting well," he added. :It's not easy to make a lot of putts, although I went a little brain dead with my first putt on 17 and just jammed it by. With everything that happened I'm still there with a good chance."
Goydos, who has not achieved anything of note since winning the Sony Open in Hawaii in January last year, dropping to 159th in the world rankings, birdied the 17th to take the sole lead.
He could have had another birdie at the last, but lipped out a 15-footer and settled for a round of 70.
Goydos, who posted a seven-under 209 total, was asked whether he had ever held the 54-hole lead before: "No, but I've only been on tour for 16 years," he quipped.
Goydos headed fellow American Kenny Perry (72) by one stroke, with Garcia alone in third place on four under.
Bernard Langer, who struggled on the back nine, shot 75 to slip back to two under with Americans Phil Mickelson and Jeff Quinney.