A two-under-par 70 was enough to move Rory McIlroy within three shots of the lead at the Farmers Insurance Open in California.
The Northern Irishman had three birdies and a single bogey to move to seven under, three shots behind joint leaders Carlos Ortiz (66) and Patrick Reed (70).
Overnight leader Viktor Hovland slipped back to eight under following a 73 as part of a group that includes Sam Burns, Lanto Griffin, Spain's Jon Rahm and Australia's Adam Scott.
Sam Ryder, Will Zalatoris and Ryan Palmer are tied for eighth with McIlroy.
The day proceeded with some controversy after Reed picked up his ball at the10th hole and called over a rules official to confirm that it was embedded in the rough and that he was entitled to a free drop.
The drop was awarded drop and finished off his par on the hole, but television replays showed the ball bounced once before settling into the rough.
"When we're out there, we can't see everything and when that happens, you haveto go by what the volunteers say, with what the rules officials say," said Reed in a post-round interview on CBS.
"When all comes to push and shove, wefelt like we did the right thing and the rules official said we did it absolutely perfectly."
Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, will be in the hunt for his first victory since winning the WGC-Mexico Championship in February of last year.
Ortiz has won just once on the PGA Tour, taking the Vivint Houston Open in November.
Scott had the lead late in Saturday's round before faltering with three bogeys on the last four holes to shoot an even-par 72.
