Sergio Garcia maintained his two-shot lead in the third round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic but the chasing pack were bunching up behind him at Emirates Golf Club.
The Spaniard entered round three with a three-shot lead after signing for a 67 in the morning as he completed the wind-delayed second round.
Bunker trouble and missed short putts meant he could only turn in level par 35, however, and the competition - led by Open champion Henrik Stenson - were gathering ominously.
Stenson was two under for his first ten holes to sit two behind Garcia alongside South African George Coetzee and American Peter Uihlein.
Garcia's lead was cut to two straight away as he found a bunker with his second shot on the first and, despite playing a lovely shot from the sand, he could not make his par putt.
The 37 year old bounced back with a birdie on the second to re-establish his cushion and Coetzee moved three off the lead with a birdie of his own.
The second was yielding gains and Uihlein got himself to eight under there before he then birdied the third and gave the shot back on the fourth.
Garcia played another excellent bunker shot on the third but again could not take advantage as he settled for par, and Coetzee cut his lead again after an exquisite chip.
Coetzee and Garcia then parred their way to the turn but it was not without incident as Garcia missed a short birdie attempt on the fifth, played another beautiful bunker shot on the sixth and made par from 20 feet on the seventh after just avoiding the water.
Stenson birdied the fifth but then bogeyed the sixth as Uihlein made a gain and the Swede then stiffed his approach to the eighth for another birdie.
Stenson and Uihlein both birdied the tenth to make a positive start to the back nine.
Tyrrell Hatton was the clubhouse leader at nine under after a sparkling round of 65. The Englishman eagled the 17th to start a run where he picked up eight shots in 11 holes before surrendering a three-putt bogey on the ninth.
Thai Prom Meesawat was two under through ten holes to sit alongside Hatton, a shot clear of Graeme McDowell, Chris Paisley and Ian Poulter.
Amateur Curtis Luck, Nacho Elvira, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Joost Luiten were then at seven under.
Grégory Bourdy made the fifth hole-in-one of the season as he aced the 11th from 155 yards with an eight iron.
