Woods and Molinari set for back-nine Masters showdown

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019 - Tiger Woods of the U.S. (L) and Francesco Molinari of Italy on the 7th green during final round play. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

AUGUSTA, Ga. (Reuters) - Francesco Molinari led Tiger Woods by a single shot as they headed into another back-nine showdown on Sunday with the Masters title on the line.

Paired together in the final round of last year's British Open, won by the Italian at Carnoustie, Woods will be hoping for a different outcome at Augusta National as he bids to end an 11-year major drought by claiming a fifth Green Jacket. While Woods and Molinari held the spotlight, there were other Green Jacket contenders lurking in the shadows, with twice U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka and big-hitting Tony Finau just two off the pace.

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019. Francesco Molinari of Italy in action on the 4th hole during final round play. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Englishman Ian Poulter and unheralded American Patrick Cantlay are three shots off the lead.

All eyes were on Woods, Molinari and the weather as the race for the Green Jacket turned into a final sprint with the forecast predicting rain and thunderstorms.

In a desperate attempt to get the season's first major across the finish line before the storm hit, officials pushed up start times and sent golfers off in threesomes from both the first and 10th tees.

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019 - Tiger Woods of the U.S. watches his fairway shot on the 1st hole during final round play. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Dressed in his traditional final-round red shirt, Woods collected his first birdie of the day, rolling in an eight-footer at the third, to trim Molinari's lead to a single shot, but then gave it right back with a bogey at the par-three fourth.

The reworked fifth hole, a trouble spot for Woods all week, was once again a headache for the former world number one and he carded a bogey for the fourth straight day.

With Finau also carding a bogey and Koepka dropping a shot at the sixth, Molinari suddenly found himself alone at the top of the leaderboard with a three-shot advantage.

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019. Francesco Molinari of Italy tees off on the second tee during final round play. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Things, however, can change quickly at Augusta National and they did just that at the par-four seventh.

Molinari, who had been rock steady reeling off six straight pars, paid for a wayward tee shot, picking up just his second bogey of the week and first in 50 holes.

Woods, meanwhile, shook off any lingering effects of back-to-back bogeys with a tap in birdie to slice Molinari's advantage to a single stroke.

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019. Tiger Woods of the U.S. in action on the 7th fairway during final round play. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

The ice cool Italian, however, would not be rattled, rolling in a clutch 13-footer for birdie at the eighth, with Woods also gaining a shot.

It is said the Masters does not truly begin until the back nine on Sunday and that held true as Woods and Molinari parred the ninth to head into the turn with everything to play for.

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019. Tiger Woods of the U.S. reacts after missing a putt for birdie on the 6th hole as Francesco Molinari of Italy looks on during final round play. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

(Editing by Toby Davis)

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019. Tiger Woods of the U.S. tees off on the second tee during final round play. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019 - The final group of Tiger Woods, Francesco Molinari and Tony Finau walk up the first fairway after teeing off during final round play. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019 - Francesco Molinari of Italy hits from a fairway bunker on the 8th hole during final round play. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019. Tiger Woods of the U.S. gestures after putting on the 8th green during final round play. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019 - Francesco Molinari of Italy hits from the rough on the 5th hole during final round play. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019. Tiger Woods of the U.S. tees off on the second tee during final round play. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019 - Francesco Molinari of Italy on the 7th hole during final round play. REUTERS/Mike Segar