Rory McIlroy and Norway's Viktor Hovland, a former champion, will share the lead in the final round of the 150th British Open in St Andrews after finishing tied at 16-under on Saturday.
McIlroy, the 2014 Open champion, posted his second 66 of the week with five birdies and a sensational eagle two in the 10th, where he chipped in from a greenside bunker.
It has been explained as potentially the most important in McIlroy's career, should he win this weekend, having turned the Open in his favor.
For context, the eagle on day 10 put him in a tie for the lead with Hovland.
"Can you believe the scenes?" Matt Southgate said in a commentary on The Opening radio.
"It's an amazing bunker shot. I can't believe what we just saw. Rory McIlroy beats everyone."
The blemish on his card was a bogey on the challenging 17. Hovland, the world number 9th who has never enjoyed a top-10 finish in a major, posted an outstanding 6-under 66 with six birdies, including four in a row. from the third, and no dropped shots.
Sunday risks becoming a straight shootout between those two who sit within four strokes of the closest challengers, Smith and Cameron Young of the United States.
Smith and Young busted in the final matchup of the day on Saturday, but Smith bogeyed the 1st and never got going in a one-over-par 73.
That left him to 12-under for the championship, on the same level as Young, 71. South Korea's Kim Si-woo and world number one Scottie Scheffler, the Masters champion, will arrive Sunday at 11-under. At the same time, Dustin Johnson is ten under.
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