Dylan Naidoo produced a brilliant burst of scoring on the front nine as he fired a third-round 66 to share the lead with Eddie Pepperell ahead of the final round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
Starting the day three strokes off the lead, Naidoo made an opening birdie before reeling off five in a row from the third hole thanks to some wonderful putting.
The South African then mixed two more birdies with two bogeys to set the clubhouse target at 11 under par.
And halfway co-leader Pepperell joined him at the top of the leaderboard with his final putt of the day, rolling in from ten feet on the 18th to sign for a 69 and remain on course for a wire-to-wire victory that would erase the memory of missing out on a DP World Tour card at Qualifying School last month.
Jacob Skov Olesen, who became the first Danish winner of The Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin in the summer before securing his DP World Tour card at Q School, sits one stroke back after his third shot at the 18th hit the flag to set up a tap-in birdie.
Naidoo made the perfect start on Saturday, holing from six feet for an opening birdie.
He picked up another shot at the third after sending his second from the rough to around seven feet and successfully knocking in the putt.
The 26-year-old's putting masterclass continued with a long-range effort on the par-three fourth before a tap-in birdie on the fifth made it three in a row.
Another monster birdie putt at the sixth handed Naidoo the solo lead and he moved three clear with his fifth straight birdie at the seventh.
Naidoo surrendered his first bogey of the day on the ninth as his chip hit a sprinkler, and after starting the back nine with three successive pars, he was joined at the summit by Englishman Pepperell.
But he got back on the birdie trail with a tap-in at the 13th to regain the outright lead before getting up and down for a vital par save on the 14th.
The crowds at Mont Choisy Le Golf were treated to yet more marvellous putting as Naidoo curled in from 25 feet for a bonus birdie at the 17th.
After failing to convert his 12-foot birdie attempt at the last, Naidoo also missed his par putt to close his round with a bogey and sign for a brilliant 66.
Naidoo said: "I tend to like drivers' golf courses where good driving can set you up nicely.
"And my iron play has been really good lately and I found the putter today. So it was a good day.
"I was a little bit worried coming into the week, more than anything, and I'm just happy with how it's gone so far.
"We still have 18 holes to play. There's still a long way to go. I'm excited to be in this position - I've never been here before. I've been in and abouts on the Sunshine Tour before.
"I'm excited and I'm just going to take it all in and play myself; play as well against myself as I can."
Pepperell, a two-time DP World Tour winner who is aiming to regain his playing privileges, turned in 34 after making two birdies on the front nine.
A seven-foot birdie at the 13th saw him earn a share of the lead but he gave the shot back on the long 14th before getting up and down on the 18th for a closing birdie to join Naidoo at the top.
Pepperell said: "The way I’m managing my game, the way the conditions are, if you offered me that ball-striking tomorrow I would take it, weighted towards better driving, because I think I can get round here in three, four, five under par managing myself and my game well and that could be enough in windy conditions.
"But I would like to see my irons a bit more where I want them.
"Three under is a good round."
