Jordan Spieth entered the weekend at Augusta in the midst of creating a fairy tale. It still looks dreamy, if ever so slightly darkened.
Sitting at -14 after only two days, the 21-year-old Texan seemed to have bulwarked his lead so successfully that he could not be caught.
But other great storytellers in the game – Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy – were making their move to upset the narrative.
That tension between story making and story breaking is what animates fandom. By that measure, this was a pretty incredible day to watch golf.
It began coming apart for Spieth at the very end, on the 17th. At that point, he was sitting at -18 – already tied for the best final score in Masters history.
Then, for the fist time all week, his concentration deserted him.
A chunked chip at 17, followed by a three-putt, landed him with a double-bogey. At 18, he skied his approach into the gallery on the right.
Spieth has a routine before tough shots. He says, "Small target" out loud to himself. Small target equals small miss. This was a huge miss. He recovered brilliantly and made his par. Later, he ballparked his chances of making that recovery at one-in-five. It may turn out to be one of the great saves in Masters history.
"I don't recommend putting it there," Spieth said drily afterward. "I felt a little anxious at times, but I kept it together."
It's beginning to seem that the only person out there he measures himself against is Jordan Spieth.
Beyond Spieth's steeliness, it was a day of highlight shots. The best may have been Mickelson's impossible, curling 40-foot putt for a birdie on the 16th hole. It came just as Spieth missed a short putt for par.
That put Mickelson within four shots of the lead. Meanwhile, Justin Rose began clawing over opponents. Five birdies in the final six holes brought him into second place. Those included a remarkable bunker shot at 16.
However, it all seemed like a processional until Spieth's brief wobble. He still finished with a -16, the best 54-hole score in Masters history.
Spieth goes into Sunday with a four-shot lead over Rose (-12) – a reduction by one of his previous advantage.
Rather than great drama, it was just a great day of golf. The curtain on the real theatre comes up Sunday afternoon.
One competitor we will miss seeing in that likely chase group going out last is Woods. He made a charge, but faded. He sits at 6-under, tied with four others. But he is still who he is. No one's going to give up on him.
Keen efforts have been made here to spot Woodsian characteristics in the young Texan. It's hard to spot many. Not now, at least.
There is the slight difference in personal style.
After one errant tee shot, Spieth said to himself, "Oh, Jordan."
After a similarily scuffed start, Woods muttered, "Oh, my (expletive) God."
Whatever happened to "Egads"? And why can't we go back there? For the children.
There were other glimpses of the old, angry Tiger. That Tiger was a better golfer. This new, fun Tiger isn't very scary.
He's put his game back together here at Augusta. The swagger is starting to return, if choppily. But after his round, he essentially gave in.
"It's in Jordan's hands right now. He can run off and hide."
Spieth hasn't managed to hide yet, but he's hard to spot. If there's any storyline that favours an upset, it's that two of three competitors directly behind him have already won majors.
They've done it. He's trying. But there is something about him – and especially about that nervy leap at 18 – that suggests he is not going to let this chance slip.