Danny Willett will go in search of a first European Tour title since his victory at the Masters Tournament when he takes a three-shot lead into the final round of the Maybank Championship.
The Englishman had the most successful year of his career so far in 2016, winning twice including that triumph at Augusta National as he finished second in the Race To Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex.
That does not tell the whole story, however, and Willett admitted he struggled to find that early season form as he recorded just one top ten in his final 13 events of the season.
A sixth-placed finish at the UBS Hong Kong Open and some hard work over the Christmas break has helped to restore confidence and, after rounds of 66-67-67, he is in pole position to move back into the winner's circle at Saujana Golf and Country Club.
Willett heads into Sunday at 16 under, three shots clear of American David Lipsky and four ahead of Frenchman Alexander Levy, the first time he has led by more than one shot after 54 holes.
"It was up and down, I’d have taken a 67 at the start of the day, it spreads the top five and top six guys out a bit more and further away," he said.
"I’m probably going to go hit a few and make a few little minor tweaks here and there and try to get the driver to where it’s been most of the week.
"I’m not sure what will win it to be honest, depends on if we pitch up and it’s flat calm. I think there’s a few guys that can go low if it’s windy like this.
"One or two under par is a good knock out there so I think it all depends on the weather tomorrow."
Lipsky made the first move with a birdie on the opening hole from five feet and when he got on the par five third in two for another gain he was just one behind overnight leader Bernd Wiesberger.
One or two under par is a good knock out there so I think it all depends on the weather tomorrow - Danny Willett
Willett made a smart up-and-down from the sand on the same hole to take a share of top spot but that did not last for long as Wiesberger holed a 12-footer on the next for his first gain of the day.
Willett then found himself plugged and with an awkward stance in a greenside bunker on the fifth and while he played a nice escape, he could not make his par putt and the lead was up to two.
Wiesberger had three-putted the third in only making par and he did it again on the par four sixth to see his advantage trimmed back to one shot.
A second consecutive bogey on the next after flying the green left the door open for Willett and the 29 year old burst through it, putting his approach to six feet and hitting the front on his own.
Lipsky dropped a shot after failing to get up and down before all three of the final group birdied the par five eighth, Wiesberger hitting the green in two and Willett and Lipsky doing well to get up and down.
Lipsky birdied the tenth to get within one of the lead but Willett produced a sensational birdie on the next, holing a lengthy left-to-righter down the slope to sit two ahead.
Wiesberger bogeyed the 11th and 14th but bounced back on the penultimate hole, where Willett also made a gain from eight feet to extend his lead further.
Willett then had some good fortune as he got a free drop and hit the pin in birdieing the last, with Lipsky also picking up a shot.
Levy had been quietly going about his business with birdies on the third, eighth, 13th and 14th but when he put his approach on the last to eight feet, an eagle and outright second looked on the cards. His frustration was visible when he missed that effort but a birdie gave him a round of 67 and a chance on Sunday afternoon.
Two more Frenchmen, Grégory Havret and Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Wiesberger, Thai Panuphol Pittayarat and South Korean K.T.Kim were then at 11 under.
Havret played matching nines of 33, each containing four birdies and a bogey, while Pittayarat was bogey-free in also carding a 66. Lorenzo-Vera had two bogeys in a 70, with Kim registering one dropped shot in his 69.
Anirban Lahiri and Fabrizio Zanotti were ten under.
