Andy Sullivan bookended a front nine of 32 with eagles as he maintained his one shot lead on day three of the 2020 English Championship.
The home favourite started his round at Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & CC eagle-birdie but soon found himself behind Brandon Stone as the South African made six gains to turn in 30 and get to 17 under.
But a second eagle of the day on the ninth edged Sullivan back ahead as he looks for a first win since he claimed all three of his European Tour victories in 2015.
England's Steven Brown, South African Dean Burmester and Welshman Jamie Donaldson were then three shots off the lead at the third event of the UK Swing.
The par four first was playing just 278 yards but with the flag on the very front of the green near to the bunkers, it was capable of being treacherous.
Laurie Canter looked like he was in trouble after he came up short and played a poor second but he chipped in with his third to join the lead.
He was not there for long, however, as Sullivan's faded tee shot just cleared the sand and took a nice bounce to two feet to set up an eagle.
Canter made a two putt birdie on the par five second but Sullivan got up and down on the same hole to keep his lead at two, with Burmester joining Canter in second with an eagle from 18 feet.
Stone had holed a long putt at the first and taken advantage of the second before tee shots to inside ten feet on the par three fourth and sixth moved him to 15 under.
A lost ball from Canter saw him register a triple bogey and tumble down the leaderboard, with Sullivan failing to get up and down on the same hole to see his lead cut to one.
Stone then drove to the front of the seventh green and two putts handed him a birdie and a share of top spot.
Burmester failed to get up and down on the fifth and the leading duo were two ahead of the field.
Stone was the form man on the course and after finding the ninth green in two, he got down in two from 25 feet and had the solo lead.
Burmester got that dropped shot back from 15 feet at the eighth and joined Donaldson at 15 under.
The 2014 Ryder Cup hero had made a birdie-birdie start and followed an excellent tee shot to around six feet on the sixth by taking advantage of the par five ninth.
Brown joined the group two shots behind Stone as he capitalised on the par five second, ninth and 12th, to add to an almost ace on the par three sixth as he hit the pin.
Sullivan then got a nice bounce with his second into the ninth and an eagle from three feet put him back in front.
Canter, Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, Australian Jason Scrivener and Dane Martin Simonsen were at 14 under, a shot clear of clubhouse leaders Marcus Armitage, Dave Coupland and Ryan Fox.
