Saturday was a curious day at Oak Hill. As if some unseen tormentors decreed that too many featured players would not wage compelling drama, the stock birdies of Rounds 1 and 2 disappeared into the treetops, replaced with abundant pars and bushels of others. Top names dropped pages on the leaderboard, while some unknowns ascended.

Lee Westwood, who righted the ship with a round-three 68 that has him tied for 7th, said after his morning round that the course dried out considerably in Round 3.

“Well, it’s a lot dryer today obviously … Obviously there’s a bit more wind, which makes this golf course a lot trickier. You won’t see the low scores today. It’s a good test out there.”

A few low scores were available for the taking on Saturday. Dustin Johnson let the rest of the field know early on that a number could be had on Saturday at Oak Hill. He had to birdie the arduous 509-yard 17th just to make the cut on Friday, but climbed the leaderboard with the best round of the day, a 65.

If not for a bogey on Kite’s Waterloo (the 428-yard 5th), Johnson might have gone deeper. At a time when the hoped-for charges of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson stalled, Johnson reminded fans and the media that his value to the game extends beyond rules violations and Wayne Gretzky’s daughter. Johnson moved 51 spots to the good, into 9th place.

Jonas Blixt and Kevin Streelman were almost able to match Johnson’s third-round thunder. Both posted four-under 66s that elevated them into the top 10. Streelman moved from 50th to 10th and demonstrated a gratitude for the simple things.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s nice to feel that sun today,” Streelman said. “I was telling those guys I played at the very end of the day yesterday and the greens got really bumpy. And they are so wet, obviously, that it was tough to make many putts. I was excited to get on some fresh greens this morning and was able to make a lot of putts today. Game feels good. I have been hitting it good all week and chipping it really well and see what happens tomorrow.”

Blixt, meanwhile, shot 4-under to jump eleven-spots and enters Round 4 in fourth place at 6-under. He’ll play in the penultimate group on Sunday with countryman Henrik Stenson.

“It was good,” Blixt said. “Feels a little weird to be in here, feels like going back to college speech class. I hated that. Now it’s even worse. No, it was a good day. Kind of relaxed a little more. I drank coffee in the morning and got really jacked up. So the first few holes felt a little different. Luckily it kind of settled and I could start playing my own game. The first three holes I made some good putts and got the momentum going. Then I played pretty good there for a while. And I got my revenge on the last three, so I’m kind of happy about that.”

Defending champion Rory McIlroy, for whom headlines this year were restricted to questions about his girlfriend, his new clubs and his work ethic, climbed 21 spots with the days third-best score, a three-under 67. The Ulsterman picked up two strokes to par on the closing holes, long par fours that have cost golfers more than their fair share of double bogeys this week.

McIlroy understood the magnitude of his matching threes on the finishing holes.

“Those last two holes are playing really tough,” McIlroy said. “I had a great drive up [No.] 17 and still had 225 to the pin. I hit a good one. I mean, I’m not sure short. On the last hole, it’s playing so tough into the wind, as well, pretty tricky little pin position there. I probably made up at least three, three and a half shots on those last two holes.”

Throughout the demanding afternoon, only veteran Jim Furyk was able to post a third consecutive round in the 60s. The wily one with the octopus swing made enough birdies (five) to offset his fair share of bogeys (three.) Unlike his fellow combatants, he avoided the double and triple bogies and was able to finish three rounds at 9-under.

Click here to see the clubs in Furyk’s bag.

Jason Dufner, the 36-hole leader, managed his game as well as could be expected. He was tentative on more than a few birdie opportunities but limited the damage to a bogey and a double bogey to sign for 71 in the third round. He will occupy a spot in the final pairing for the second consecutive day, one stroke behind 54-hole leader Furyk.

For many of the hopefuls, Oak Hill on Saturday was a vicious combatant that left many of them bruised, licking their wounds and wondering how opportunity fled without empathy. Hunter Mahan tumbled from 15th to 63rd with an eight-over 78. Sergio Garcia began the day three strokes south of par and, despite birdies on two of the final three holes, walked off No. 18 two strokes north after an ill-timed 75.

U.S. Open champion Justin Rose, who appeared to master parkland golf at Merion in June, also went from red to black numbers with a 77, low-lighted by a forgettable, four-hole stretch on the front nine. Rose went bogey-double bogey-bogey-double bogey on holes two through five to eliminate himself from the championship picture.