Thorbjørn Olesen fired the lowest round of his European Tour career to set the clubhouse target on day four of the BMW International Open but Matt Wallace was chasing him down at Golf Club Gut Laerchenhof.
After a disappointing 77 on Saturday, Dane Olesen started Sunday seven shots behind the leaders but a brilliant 61 gave him a three-shot lead at nine under before the final group had even teed off.
England's Wallace picked up five shots in 13 holes to cut that gap to one as the final pairing made the turn, with another Dane in Søren Kjeldsen at seven under.
South African Justin Walters and Spaniard Nacho Elvira were in the clubhouse three shots off the lead, alongside local hero Martin Kaymer, Dane Lucas Bjerregaard, Australian Scott Hend, Finn Mikko Korhonen and England's Aaron Rai.
Olesen's stunning effort was the lowest round in BMW International Open history, equalled Shubhankar Sharma's lowest round of the season and his 11 under effort was the lowest round to par in 2018.
The Italian Open champion birdied the second, made an eagle on the par five third and then birdied the ninth to turn in 32 but he truly came to life on the back nine, making seven birdies to come home in 29.
The 28 year old birdied the tenth and 11th and then got on the greens at the par five 13th and 15th in two to make two further gains and move past the leaders.
He then put his tee-shot to ten feet on the par three 16th, his approach to tap-in range on the next and hit a stunning approach to the last for a four-birdie finish and a potentially winning total with the wind beginning to pick up again.
Kjeldsen birdied the first and third and hit a beautiful tee-shot into the par three fourth to get to six under and that group began to swell once the leaders got under way.
Hend got on the third green in two and made his birdie and when he birdied the sixth to break out of a group of six players, he was alone in second.
Kaymer took advantage of both the par fives on the front nine to join him but gave the shot straight back on the next, leaving Wallace as the other man at seven under after the Hero Indian Open champion birdied the first, third, tenth and 11th.
A wonderful approach into the ninth allowed Hend to get within one of the lead and he was soon joined by Kjeldsen, who broke a run of eight pars with a long eagle putt on the 13th.
Wallace then got on the 13th green in two himself and made a birdie to get to eight under and that was good enough for solo second as Hend and Kjeldsen slipped back.
Hend went a long way right off the tenth tee and then went over the fairway to surrender a double-bogey, and Kjeldsen dropped a single shot with a three-putt on the 14th.
South African Walters got off to a birdie-birdie-birdie start and added further gains on the sixth, ninth, 13th, 15th and 16th to continue his good form after finishing in a tie for third at the Shot Clock Masters.
Elvira joined Walters in the clubhouse three shots off the lead as he birdied five of his last six holes in a 67.
Korhonen was two under for his round and Bjerregaard, Hend, Kaymer and Rai were all one under at the start of the back nine.
