Hopes of an Australian lifting the Wanamaker Trophy have been all but washed away during an eventful third round of the PGA Championship in Rochester, New York.
Min Woo Lee and Cam Davis hung tough in horrendous conditions before faltering late to each post one-over-par 71s at the beauty and the beast that is Oak Hill Country Club on Saturday.
At one over, Lee is seven shots behind American leader Brooks Koepka (66) and will need to replicate Justin Thomas's all-time final-round comeback from last year if he is to win the year's second major.
Davis is a further shot back at two over after the game's best players were forced to battle through driving rain that made for thick, damp rough and left balls squirting off wet club faces even on the fairways.
Lee and Davis shared sixth at the prestigious Players Championship two months ago and the two young guns again made inspired charges on Saturday to raise hopes of a famous Australian victory.
Lee drained a 43-foot putt for his third birdie of the day on the par-4 11th to pull within four strokes of the lead - and just two of equal second.
But after fighting his driver all day, the 24-year-old lost his ball off the tee and racked up a double-bogey seven on the 13th to slip back into a tie for 10th.
Thomas was also trailing by seven strokes entering the final round at last year's PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
But while tour rookie Mito Periera was the frontrunner then, Lee will have to reel in a four-time major winner in Koepka.
He also has other major winners Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau ahead of him on the leaderboard.
Victory looks almost impossible, though his dual major-winning sister Minjee landed her first one from seven shots behind entering the final round of the 2021 Evian Championship in France.
Davis upstaged his superstar playing partner Dustin Johnson, driving the par-4 14th hole to set up a spectacular birdie, before picking up another shot on 16 to claw his way to level with the card for the championship.
But the former Australian Open champion will rue three-putting the last after missing a two-footer, and also making bogey on No.17 in a deflating finish to an otherwise great round.
Davis shares 16th spot with New Zealand's Ryan Fox (71) and Americans Kurt Kitayama (71) and Patrick Reed (69).
Playing in the worst of the weather, British Open champion Cameron Smith ground out a superb even-par 70 to remain at four over, but 10 shots off the pace in a tie for 27th.
Adam Scott recorded a second straight 74 to be six over, one ahead of fellow Australian Lucas Herbert, who had a third-round 72.
