Home favourites continued to dominate the leaderboard as Adri Arnaus, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Jon Rahm shared the lead during day three of the Mutuactivos Open de España.
Spaniards had held the top four spots after 36 holes and it remained that way on Saturday afternoon, with Arnaus Cabrera Bello and Rahm all at 11 under, a shot clear of Samuel Del Val.
Arnaus and Cabrera Bello both turned in level par 36, while Rahm was two under for the day having played ten holes.
World Number 1,413 Del Val, who does not have any international playing privileges, also turned in level par to sit a shot clear of Australian Jason Scrivener.
Rahm would move to the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex with a victory, while Cabrera Bello is seeking win number four and rookie Arnaus is looking for his first after three second place finishes this season.
Cabrera Bello had gone bogey free over the first two days but that run was soon broken as a dropped shot on the first left Arnaus in the lead on his own.
Rahm got within one with a tee shot to inside ten feet at the par three third and while he was just over the back of the par five next in two, he got up and down to make it two birdies in a row and share the lead.
Del Val went a long way left off the the fourth tee but managed to make birdie from 25 feet, and a two putt birdie from Cabrera Bello briefly made it a four way tie before Arnaus made a two putt gain of his own.
Cabrera Bello sent his tee shot a long way right and Del Val hit a poor chip on the fifth as both men surrendered bogeys.
Cabrera Bello went right off the tee again at the next but found the green with his second and holed a brilliant slippery right to lefter down the hill to move back to 11 under.
Arnaus had gone even further right and he could not save his par, meaning Rahm moved into the solo lead as he took advantage of the par five seventh with an up-and-down from just in front of the green.
The leader gave the shot back with a three putt on the next and was replaced by Arnaus who played a lovely pitch to birdie the par five seventh.
Another bogey from Rahm on the next after he left his tee shot short dropped him two behind but he bounced back from 18 feet on the tenth.
An Arnaus three putt on the ninth then made it a three way tie at the top once again.
Scrivener had birdies on the third, fourth and sixth but dropped a shot on the ninth in his first 11 holes.
Clubhouse leaders Justin Harding and Fabrizio Zanotti were at eight under alongside Joachim B Hansen, Mikko Korhonen, Per Langfors and Zander Lombard.
