Indeed, the Irishman, a four-time major champion and looking for the Masters win to complete the career grand slam, was true to his word, producing an aggressive start to his third round, his par at the first hole representing an improvement on his first two rounds.

At the par-five second, the 27-year-old reached the green in two to set up an early birdie and he followed up with another at the short par-four third, chipping to two feet.

There was trouble ahead though, a bogey at the par-four fifth and double bogey seven at the seventh to undo his strong opening, althugh he reclaimed a short with a birdie at the eighth.

It still left McIlroy adrift of the leaders, Hoffman stealing an early march on his rivals with birdies at the second and fourth. Though the 40-year-old American bogeyed the par-three sixth, he made up for it with birdie at the ninth to make the turn in six under for the week, two ahead of Spaniard Garcia, 37, and a fast approaching Jordan Spieth, the player of the round by a disatance as the leaders turned for home.

While Fowler and Pieters struggled to stay in touch, Spieth was building on the momentum he had created with a second-round 69 which wiped out the pain of a first-day quadruple bogey nine at the 15th.

The Texan, 23, has never finished outside the top two in three Masters appearances, winning in the green jacket in 2015 but suffering agony last year when another quad, this time a seven at the par-three 12th, dashed hopes of back to back titles.

Having clawed back the first-round deficit on Friday, Spieth rode the wave into Saturday's third round, with birdies at the sixth, eighth, ninth and 13th to move to four under, just two off Hoffman's lead alongside Garcia.

McIlroy moved to level par with a birdie at the par-three 12th, still six off the pace.