Golf: Day looming as Spieth holds third round Masters lead

World number one Jason Day is chasing Jordan Spieth in the third round of the Masters. Photo / Getty Images

World No.1 Jason Day is trying to make a move, but defending champion Jordan Spieth continues to lead the way midway through a wild and windy third round at the Masters.

High wind gusts of up to 40km/h continue to buffet Augusta National, making the slick greens ridiculously tricky, but Day has the best round of the day, moving within four of the lead and tied third.

At two under through 14 holes, including an exceptional 70-foot birdie on the 14th, Day sits one under for the tournament.

Defending champion Spieth is one under through eight holes to be five under for the week, three clear at the top from Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, who has played 10 holes to be two under.

Rory McIlroy (eight holes), Scott Piercey (nine holes), Soren Kjeldsen (nine holes) and veteran Bernhard Langer (14 holes) join Day at one under.

Day opened with a bogey, but with birdies on two and nine, clawed his way in.

A bogey at 12 was countered by birdies at 13 and 14, the latter a brilliant effort after recovering from deep in the trees.

Adam Scott's tilt is effectively over after he battled his way to a three-over 75 on Saturday to drop to a seven-over 223, currently 12 shots adrift.

Scott had one of the day's better rounds going before he bogeyed 16 and 17. Masters rookie Cameron Smith opened his third round with a double bogey and it was a battle from that point on, shooting a 10-over 82 to fall to 13-over.

-AAP