Wade Ormsby and Matthias Schwab both turned in 33 to lead by one on day three of the Omega European Masters but World Number Two Rory McIlroy was just a shot back in the Swiss mountains.
McIlroy had picked up five shots in his last five holes on Friday but could only pick up one more in his first nine in round three to sit a shot behind his playing partners.
Finn Kalle Samooja was alongside McIlroy at 11 under as he set the clubhouse target with a 62 that was his lowest round on the European Tour.
Playing partners Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Sebastian Soderberg were ten under after 13 holes alongside Andres Romero, who turned in level par.
McIlroy could not initially carry his momentum into round three as he and Ormsby both dropped a shot at the first to fall alongside the flying Samooja.
The European Challenge Tour graduate made birdies on the first, second and fourth and, while he bogeyed the fifth, he eagled the driveable seventh before making gains on the eighth and 11th.
McIlroy bounced straight back with an approach to eight feet at the second and with overnight leader Gavin Green dropping a shot at the first, there was a five way tie at the top.
The final group of Green, Tommy Fleetwood and Romero all slid down the leaderboard in the early stages but scoring was possible as Samooja continued to prove.
The 31-year-old was approaching the closing holes and he made his birdie on the par five 14th to join McIlroy and Schwab in the lead.
He was not in a share for long, though, as Schwab hit a lovely approach to ten feet on the fifth to hit the front on his own.
Ormsby hit an excellent second into the sixth to leave himself a short putt for birdie and while Samooja could not make the most of the 15th, he holed a long putt on the 16th to give Schwab company at the top.
Ormsby holed a brilliant chip for an eagle on the seventh to briefly hold the solo lead but playing partner Schwab made his birdie on the driveable hole to join him, with McIlroy also picking up a shot.
Bezuidenhout recovered from a bogey on the first with four birdies in a row from the fourth - getting up and down from the sand on the seventh - and added a six footer at the tenth.
Soderberg had also bogeyed the first but he too made four birdies in a row before the turn and added another on the 12th.
Romero had bogeyed the second and surrendered a double on the fifth but he came roaring back with gains on the sixth, eighth and ninth.
Green, Adri Arnaus, Darren Fichardt and Mike Lorenzo-Vera were all nine under.
