Alexander Levy took a one-shot lead into the closing nine but Ross Fisher was chasing him down as the Porsche European Open moved towards a tense conclusion at Golf Resort Bad Griesbach.
The 26 year old entered the third and final round of the fog-shortened event with a four-shot advantage but while he turned in level par to stay at 17 under, Fisher picked up four birdies on the front nine to pile on the pressure.
The Englishman won this event on home soil in 2008 and Martin Kaymer was also aiming for a home win, making three birdies on the front nine to sit at 14 under alongside England's Matthew Southgate.
Levy was seeking a third European Tour title after winning twice in 2014, while Fisher - whose last win also came two seasons ago - was in the hunt for win number six.
There was a big swing straight away in the final group as Levy dropped his first shot of the week on the first with Michael Jonzon and Fisher both picking up birdies.
The Frenchman bounced straight back, however, with a 40-foot birdie putt on the second and the leading trio then all took advantage of the par five third, with Kaymer making gains on the third and fourth - the latter courtesy of a lengthy putt.
Levy missed the green on the fourth to drop another shot with Jonzon getting up and down to save par and Fisher seeing his birdie putt agonisingly turn a full 45 degrees and stay up.
The leader's nervy start continued as he got in trouble down the left on the fifth to drop a shot but Jonzon also made a bogey after a three-putt, and the 44 year old dropped another on the next after two clumsy chips.
Kaymer then produced an excellent pitch from the rough on the eighth to make a birdie and get within two of the lead, while a third bogey in a row on the seventh sent Jonzon in the other direction.
Fisher and Levy then both took advantage of the par five eighth before Fisher made it back-to-back gains to turn just a shot off the lead.
Southgate was one under par for his round after seven holes but then made a huge eagle putt on the eighth and added birdies on the tenth and 11th.
Swede Robert Karlsson and Austria's Bernd Wiesberger were then at 13 under after ten holes, a shot clear of Jonzon, fellow Swede Magnus A Carlsson, Welshman Bradley Dredge, England's Tommy Fleetwood and South African Jean Hugo.
