Kiradech Aphibarnrat made two early birdies to take the lead in the fourth round at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on a wild and windy afternoon at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Increased winds made scoring far more difficult than on the first three days but the Thai birdied the first and second to move to 14 under after four holes, a shot clear of three-time winner and playing partner Martin Kaymer.
Overnight leader Tyrrell Hatton dropped a shot on the third to sit at 12 under alongside reigning Major Championship winners Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson, 2014 winner Pablo Larrazábal and South African Dean Burmester.
Calm winds had allowed the early starters on Saturday to surge through the field but with no such advantage present on Sunday morning, the leading groups remained at the top of the leaderboard as they began their rounds.
Kaymer and Burmester both took advantage of the second to get closer to the leader but it was Aphibarnrat who leapforgged Hatton, holing a left-to-righter on the first and then putting his approach to two feet on the par five second.
Hatton hit a beautiful drive on the first but left himself with a nervy par putt after going over the back, and the relief was palpable as he made it for an early confidence boost.
The Englishman made par after missing the green on the second but he was not so fortunate on the next, surrendering just a third bogey of the week to drop two off the lead.
Larrazábal also dropped a shot to join the group at 11 under, which Stenson moved out of with a third birdie of the day.
The Swede took advantage of the second but gave the shot back on the third before birdieing the fifth and seventh, having to back off his putt twice on the latter as the wind continued to gust.
Larrazábal responded to his bogey in stunning fashion and was inches from an ace on the par three fourth, with Hatton and Johnson both making their pars.
South Korea's Byeong-hun An, England's Tommy Fleetwood, German Maximilian Kieffer and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger were then at 11 under.
