David Law is no stranger to inclement weather and he is hoping to use all his experience when he goes in search of a maiden European Tour title on Sunday at the ISPS Handa Vic Open.
Glorious conditions led to low scores over days one and two at 13th Beach Golf Club but it was a very different story on Saturday, with high winds and rain meaning that just 21 players went under par.
Law was among them, the Aberdeen native using all his guile from Scottish conditions to fire a 71 and move within three shots of third-round leader Wade Ormsby.
The Challenge Tour graduate is playing just his 18th European Tour event this week but has shown that he belongs and is ready to mount a big challenge on Sunday.
"It was playing really difficult," he said. "On 17, for example, we had it playing as it turned out a four-club wind.
"You needed to hang in, you needed to be in control of your ball and get a bit lucky at times and hole some putts, which luckily I did.
"You needed to be patient and luckily it's a links-style golf course, you can run the ball in, which I'm used to doing. I was quite pleased it was going to be windy like that today and I think you see from the scoring that guys still shot good numbers."
The best of those numbers came from home favourite Matthew Stieger who - after going out in the first group of the day and playing in the worst of the rain - carded a stunning 65 to sit a shot ahead of Law.
"We got hammered with the rain for about three or four holes there so it was really good to get through that stretch," he said. "No bogeys today which is really nice. I just stuck to my game plan out there.
"The first day it didn't blow at all - I shot one under - and then yesterday it blew in the afternoon and I shot five under. Then it blew this morning and I shot seven under, it's getting better and better which is good. I'm just hoping another day like today tomorrow would be great."
