Welshman Bradley Dredge, leader since his opening 64 on Thursday, was two in front with nine holes to go at the BMW International Open in Munich.
After just one bogey in his first 63 holes the 36 year old was 20 under par, but Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal had kept the pressure on him by making an 18 foot eagle putt on the long 11th.
Dredge, whose two previous European Tour wins seven and four years ago came by eight stroke margins, birdied the opening hole for the third day out of four and two-putted the par five sixth.
European Tour rookie Simon Thornton - born in England, but playing under the Irish banner after moving there - was in third place on 17 under, while English pair Kenneth Ferrie and David Horsey were two further back in fourth, but Ross Fisher had dropped from three behind overnight to seven adrift with an outward 38.
Frenchman Jean-Francois Lucquin, meanwhile, won a £75,000 car for a hole-in-one on the 184 yard 17th.
Dredge three-putted the tenth and after being caught by Larrazabal's birdie on the 15th he missed from under three feet at the 12th and fell behind.
There was another twist, though, when the Barcelona player double-bogeyed the 16th, hitting his pitch into the edge of the lake, splashing it out over the green and then duffing his chip back.
He dropped back to 17 under with Dredge 18 under with six to go.
He dropped back to 17 under with Dredge 18 under with six to go.
Dredge was two ahead once more when Larrazabal made a mess of another chip on the short 17th and dropped a further shot.
He fell into a tie with German Alex Cejka, who set the target of 16 under with a 67 - and they were only one behind when Dredge went from sand to rough and bogeyed the 14th.
