Spieth stumbles on third day at Masters but maintains four-shot lead over Rose heading into final round

Despite stumbling with a bogey at the par-3 fourth hole on Saturday, young American golfer Jordan Spieth would go into the final round of the Masters nursing a four-shot lead over England's Justin Rose with three-time champion Phil Mickelson heading a charging pack behind.

Rose fired five birdies in his last six holes, including a chip-in from the bunker on 16, to finish on 12 under and remain in the hunt for his first Green Jacket and his hopes to win got a boost when Spieth made some uncharacteristic errors towards the end of his round.

Spieth, set a Masters record with a 36-hole total of 14-under 130, double-bogeyed the 17th and sliced his approach to the 18th green into the crowd, but recovered his composure to save par.

Spieth's late wobble sets up an enthralling Sunday afternoon after a low-scoring thriller of a third day saw contenders rise and fall in their pursuit, the BBC reported.

The young Texan's two-under-par 70 left him on 16 under, a new Augusta record after 54 holes, and kept him on track to become the second youngest Masters champion in history behind Tiger Woods.

And Woods's record score of 18 under, made in his epoch-changing debut win in 1997, is also in danger from Spieth's performance.

However, Rose is on the Texan's tail after fighting back from a dropped shot on the first and another on the fifth to storm through the back nine, draining a horrible downhill birdie putt from the fringes on the last to go clear in second.

Mickelson's five-under 67 puts him on 11 under, which came off his six birdies, with Woods and world number one Rory McIlroy both scoring 68s to tie for fifth on six under. All three piled the pressure on the precocious Spieth until late dropped shots hurt McIlroy and Woods, with Mickelson missing another birdie putt by a fraction on the 18th, the report added.