US Ryder Cup star Jason Dufner went on a birdie blitz at Lake Karrinyup to catch overnight leader Emiliano Grillo during the third round of the ISPS HANDA Perth International.
The World Number Ten was five adrift of Argentina’s Grillo overnight, but after a mixed start that included an eagle and two bogeys Dufner hit his stride around the turn.
A chip-in birdie at the seventh sparked a run of five birdies in six holes and took the 35 year old to 11 under par through 14 holes of his third round.
Grillo initially extended his four shot halfway advantage over Bo Van Pelt with a 12 foot birdie putt at the sixth, the hardest hole on the course.
On Friday Grillo had holed his approach to the ninth for eagle, and while he could not repeat the trick form a fairway bunker, he did get up and down for birdie.
However, consecutive bogeys at the next two holes dropped the Qualifying School graduate back to 11 under par.
Grillo birdied the 12th, but there was a three-way tie at the top when he bogeyed the 16th and Van Pelt birdied the 11th, 12th and 15th.
