Justin Rose extended his lead to two shots as he made an excellent start to his third round at the UBS Hong Kong Open.
The World Number Seven came into the weekend with a one shot lead but an eagle on the par five third gave him a two shot cushion over Lucas Bjerregaard and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
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.
Ahead at the second, Ian Poulter saw a short putt agonisingly lip out for a bogey to drop him three back but Fitzpatrick was having no such trouble as he picked up birdies on the second and third to get within a shot of the leader.
YE Yang had made a blistering start to his third round with three birdies in his first four holes to join Rose at nine under but a dropped shot on the fifth saw him drop back.
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.
Thongchai Jaidee had set the clubhouse target a further shot back with an excellent 64.
The Thai, 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.
Patrick Reed was also at eight under as he began to find 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 Yang and Jaidee.
Poulter, a late entry in Fanling as he seeks to play the 13 events required to keep his European Tour membership for 2016, picked up a shot on the fourth to get back to seven under alongside playing partner Lu Wei-chih who was level par.
Nathan Holman needs a big week to save his card as he sits 138th in the Race to Dubai and he was also in the group at seven under, one under for the day.
Siddikur Rahman was six under after a 66 while Soomin Lee and CT Pan were also in the clubhouse a further shot back.
