Paul Casey produced a stunning birdie-eagle finish in a bogey free round of 64 to take a one shot lead into the final day of the 2021 Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
The Englishman entered Pink Saturday at Emirates Golf Club three shots off the lead but matched the lowest round of the week to get to 15 under and lead by one from Scotland's Robert MacIntyre.
South African Brandon Stone was then at 13 under, three shots clear of 2017 champion Sergio Garcia and Englishman Laurie Canter.
Casey made five birdies in his first ten holes before that big finish to sit ahead of MacIntyre, who recorded an eagle and a double bogey in his 68 as he goes in search of a second European Tour title.
A win for Casey would take his European Tour tally of victories to 15, matching the total of Ryder Cup Captains Thomas Bjørn and Padraig Harrington.
A victory would also make it a hat-trick of wins in the United Arab Emirates after his triumphs in Abu Dhabi in 2007 and 2009, and Casey would love to add another prestigious trophy to his cabinet.
"It's iconic," he said. "I can see the very impressive list of winners, those photos of them behind the 18th green. It's cool - iconic trophy, iconic event. Dubai has given so much to golf, especially the European Tour, so (to win) would be very, very cool but there's a long way to go yet.
"We always say, if you stay the same level you're going to go backwards in this game and every year it gets better and better and better, every year the young guys come up longer and stronger and they putt it better.
"There's no question that I'm lucky that my physical attributes have allowed me to maybe give me another five years.
"Westy (Lee Westwood) is inspiration. I saw him this morning. He was looking fit. I've still got to chase those guys."
He will now go out in the final group alongside MacIntyre, the man whose one shot lead he overturned to finish one shot ahead when he won his last title at the 2019 Porsche European Open.
It's cool - iconic trophy, iconic event. Dubai has given so much to golf, especially the European Tour
Stone birdied the first and the short par four second, adding another gain from 13 feet at the fifth to join the lead.
But he was soon leapfrogged by MacIntyre, who added to his own birdie on the second with a chip-in eagle at the par five third.
The Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown champion then hit the buffers, dropping a shot on the next after missing the green and making a double on the fourth after finding heavy rough off the tee and three putting.
Casey had made his birdies on the second - via a smart up-and-down from the sand - and third and played a wonderful approach to four feet at the fifth before holing a 13 footer at the seventh to share top spot.
A two putt birdie on the tenth from Stone had him in a share and MacIntyre soon joined him as an approach to 11 feet from the rough on the sixth and a 50 foot putt on the seventh handed him an excellent bounceback.
Casey left himself 12 feet for eagle at the tenth but a birdie was enough to hand him the solo lead, and Stone looked to stumble as he three putted the 12th.
But the 27-year-old put his second to nine feet at the 13th to set up an eagle, and a 15 foot putt on the 15th meant that he led alone.
MacIntyre had made a two putt birdie on the tenth and when he repeated the trick from the fringe at the 13th, Stone had company at the summit.
Casey broke a run of six pars with a spectacular chip-in at the 17th but better was to come, as he put a sublime second to ten feet at the last and a closing eagle moved him two clear.
MacIntyre trimmed that lead to one with a putt from the fringe on the 17th but a poor tee shot meant he could only par the last.
Garcia chipped in to eagle the 17th alongside four birdies and a bogey in a 67, while Canter carded seven birdies and three bogeys in a 68.
Finn Kalle Samooja was nine under after a 71, one clear of England's former World Number One Justin Rose, overnight leader Thomas Detry and South African Justin Harding.
