Steven Brown made a surge into a share of the lead as a host of players battled to keep their playing privileges on day three of the Portugal Masters.
Only the top 115 in the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex at the end of the week at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course are guaranteed to keep their cards, and Brown teed off on Thursday in 150th.
He made five birdies in his first 15 holes in round three to get to 11 under on the Algarve alongside South African trio Dean Burmester, Brandon Stone and Justin Walters.
Burmester was four under through 11 holes, Stone was one under after ten and Walters - battling to keep his card - tuned in level par.
Matt Wallace fired a 66 to set the clubhouse at ten under and he was alongside South Korean Jeunghun Wang, who had completed ten holes in one over.
Overnight leader Oliver Fisher was then in a group of eight players two shots off the lead.
Burmester chipped in at the first for a birdie and then put his second to four feet on the par five fifth for an eagle to move into double figures.
In the final group, Fisher missed a good birdie opportunity on the first and Walters punished him on the next with an approach to four feet helping move him into a share of the lead.
Burmester got within one in spectacular style as his tee shot hit the pin on the par three eighth, leaving him a tap-in to get to 11 under.
A Fisher three putt on the fifth dropped him alongside Burmester and Wang, and Walters took advantage of the par five to take a two shot lead.
Fisher missed the green at the par three sixth to make it back to back bogeys and he was replaced at 11 under by Stone.
The three time European Tour winner dropped a shot on the fifth but picked it back up on the fifth before putting a tee shot to six feet at the eighth.
Playing partner Wang three putted the same hole and he was back at ten under, with Fisher also moving in the wrong direction after missing the green at the seventh.
Walters went over the back of the seventh to see his lead cut to one and the charging Wallace was in the group at 11 under.
The World Number 29 made a two putt birdie on the 17th to go with gains on the fifth, ninth, tenth, 11th and 14th.
A Walters three putt on the eighth meant there was a four way tie for the lead and Brown made it five as he birdied the 15th to add to shots picked up on the second, fourth, tenth and 14th.
Wang had dropped a shot on the ninth but he picked it straight back up with a lovely approach to the ninth and he was joined at ten under by Wallace, who three putted the last.
George Coetzee, Darren Fichardt, Pablo Larrazábal, Renato Paratore, Eddie Pepperell, Haydn Porteous and Adrien Saddier were alongside Fisher.
