Li Haotong was still in possession of a slender lead as he reached the turn on day three of the 2020 US PGA Championship after producing a professional front nine performance to hold off the world class competitors trying to chase him down.
An extremely bunched leaderboard was changing all the time on a breathless third day at TPC Harding Park as some of golf's best players did battle in the first Major Championship of the year.
Halfway leader Li began the day with a two shot advantage and, while he was caught by Cameron Champ as he neared the turn, he was never overtaken at the summit in his first nine holes after carding one birdie and a single bogey to stay at eight under par.
And when Champ dropped a shot at the short 11th, Li was alone at the top of the leaderboard as he prepared to start his back nine.
There were five players in a tie for second place just one shot behind Li on seven under, with Englishman Paul Casey, two time defending champion Brooks Koepka, Champ, Scottie Scheffler and clubhouse leader Collin Morikawa all breathing down his neck.
Playing in the final group alongside Tommy Fleetwood, Li still held a two shot lead when he began his third round but the chasing pack had swelled significantly, with ten players in a share for second on six under as the pair reached the first tee.
Several players had closed the gap to one stroke after Li parred his first three holes but the 25-year-old could take great confidence from how he started, following up solid tee and approach shots with confident putts.
Li dropped his first shot of the day at the fifth after failing to save par from around 12 feet and fell back into a tie for the lead.
He stayed patient, though, and regained the outright lead with a wonderful pitch to four feet on the seventh to return to eight under.
After making a brilliant up-and-down from the rough to save par on the short eighth, Li was joined at the top by Champ after he made his fourth birdie of the day on the tenth.
But a missed par putt at the next saw Champ return to seven under while Li was holing his par effort at the ninth to turn in 35.
