Lucas Bjerregaard joined Justin Rose at the top of the leaderboard in Fanling as he turned in 31 on day three of the UBS Hong Kong Open.
Bjerregaard had started the day a shot behind the overnight leader but birdies on the third, fourth and sixth holes catapulted the Dane to the top of the leaderboard alongside Rose who played his first nine holes in 32 thanks to an eagle at the third.
Matthew Fitzpatrick was a further shot back having played 12 holes as he sought a second consecutive European Tour title.
Rose was handed an early test at the first as he hit his tee shot well right and had to chip out onto the fairway but he showed his class with an approach to 10 feet and made par.
Fitzpatrick had recorded back-to-back rounds of 67 to begin the week and picked up birdies on the second and third to get within a shot of the leader.
Rose then bombed a drive 356 yards down the third and when he found the green with his second shot, the Englishman rolled home the putt to get to 11 under.
Bjerregarrd made a birdie on the same hole to move to nine under while Fitzpatrick produced an impressive sand save on the sixth for his third birdie of the day.
Big-hitting Bjerregarrd made it back-to-back birdies at the fourth and when he made another gain at the sixth thanks to a stunning approach to two feet, he joined Rose at the top.
Nathan Holman, 138th in the Race to Dubai and in need of a good week to keep his playing privileges for next year, was on a birdie run of his own and gains at the the sixth, seventh and eighth got him level with Fitzpatrick at nine under.
The tie for third did not last long, however, as British Masters Supported by Sky Sports champion Fitzpatrick rolled a long putt in from the fringe on the ninth to turn in 30 and get to ten under.
Jason Scrivener was also making a move with birdies at the tenth, 11th, 13th and 14th moving him to nine under alongside fellow Australian Holman.
Scrivener is one place behind Holman in the Race to Dubai and, much like his countryman, in need of a strong performance.
Fitzpatrick then made a brilliant par save on the tenth after finding the water hazard and Holman joined him on ten under with a birdie on the same hole.
But the 24 year old then gave up a double bogey on the 11th in what could be a major blow to his hopes of keeping his card.
Thongchai Jaidee and Patrick Reed had set the clubhouse target a further shot back after scores of 64 and 65 respectively.
Jaidee, who is looking for a second consecutive European Tour title after his victory at the Porsche European Open last month, was unblemished on his way round Hong Kong Golf Club as he turned in 32 and then picked up four birdies in five holes from the tenth.
Reed was also at eight under as he found his rhythm after a 68-69 start to the week.
The World Number 20 had already made a birdie on the the third before he holed a huge putt from off the fringe at the fifth and put his approach at the next to within four feet.
A fourth birdie of the day followed on the seventh and, after a dropped shot on the 11th, he picked up back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th to join Jaidee.
Nothing but a win will do this week for Gaganjeet Bhullar and he was also at eight under through 14 holes.
Countryman Jeev Milkha Singh is another man needing a high finish and he was in the group at seven under alongside Anirban Lahiri, Lin Wen-tang, Lu Wei-chih and YE Yang.
Matt Ford was in the group at six under as he fights to keep his card while Ian Poulter, a late entry here as he seeks to play the 13 events required to keep his European Tour membership for 2016, was a further shot back and two over for the day.
