The Australian jinx at the Masters will continue for at least one more year.
Any lingering hopes of an Australian victory disappeared when Geoff Ogilvy and Aaron Baddeley slipped backwards in the third round at Augusta National yesterday.
They both shot one-over-par 73, Ogilvy ending the day nine strokes from the lead, and Baddeley 10 back.
American Kenny Perry (70) and Argentine Angel Cabrera (69) share the lead at 11-under 205, two strokes ahead of Chad Campbell and three in front of Jim Furyk.
Baddeley, for one, is resigned to not winning.
''I think I'm too far back, unless I shoot 59 or something,'' he said.
''It's a bit disappointing, the score, but I was pleased with how I played today. I drove the ball beautifully but I just couldn't get it close enough [with my iron shots] for birdies and I hit a couple of errant shots at the wrong time.''
Stuart Appleby, meanwhile, was out in the first pairing of the day at 10.35am. He did not play badly at all, but did not compile the score he was looking for, shooting 71 for even-par 216.
Asked whether he had teed off with thoughts of making a charge, he said, ''In the back of my mind, I thought I needed five under minimum to have a chance, but that was hard.
''I would like to have gotten two shots under par on the front nine and had some momentum going to the back nine.''
The Australians aren't the only one unlikely to collect the green jacket. Tiger Woods also faces a tall order, seven shots off the pace.
Woods, a four-time Masters winner, made a dreadful start with a double bogey at the par-four first, where he pulled his drive left, took two more strokes to reach the green and then three-putted.
''I put myself right behind the eight-ball but man I fought hard to get it back today,'' he said. ''That was a hell of a fight.''
Woods acknowledged that he needed the leaders to falter to have any chance of winning, but pointed out that he wasn't too far back to pounce if they did.
Cabrera, the 2007 US Open champion, knows what it takes to win a major.
''What I learned is that I can win big tournaments,'' he said. ''It is very important to have the experience of having played many times before on this course.''
Co-leader Perry, 48, stayed in the running to become the oldest Masters champion.
''This golf course is tough,'' he said.
''I had a tough day out there. I didn't have my A game. The first shot, right out of the gate, I was nervous, pulled it into the trees.
''Tomorrow, somehow, I need to get through that front nine with a decent score.
''I'm looking forward to the challenge, to see what I've got. This may be my last time to have this kind of opportunity.'' AAP