Hideki Matsuyama was on course for his first European Tour win as he extended his lead to four shots midway through the final round of the WGC-HSBC Champions.
The 24 year old entered the day with a three-shot advantage and looking to make history at Sheshan International Golf Club by becoming the first Japanese player to win an individual World Golf Championships event.
He would also become just the second Japanese to win on the European Tour, 33 years after Isao Aoki won the European Open.
A front nine of 33 moved him to 20 under and gave him a commanding advantage over American Daniel Berger, with Henrik Stenson and Bill Haas then at 14 under.
Defending champion Russell Knox was then a further shot back alongside 2010 winner Francesco Molinari.
Matsuyama got off to the perfect start with a birdie on the first but Knox had said on Saturday that he would not give up his title without a fight and a lengthy right-to-lefter on the second cut the gap back to three.
Molinari also had an early birdie on the second and playing partner Haas joined him at 13 under with a gain of his own on the third.
Berger was the next man to take advantage of that hole to get to 14 under and Molinari soon joined him after an excellent tee-shot on the par three fourth.
Matsuyama then missed the green on the fourth and despite a relatively poor chip, made an excellent putt to keep the lead at three shots from Knox and Berger who made a birdie.
Haas made a birdie on the sixth to once again sit alongside Molinari but it was Matsuyama who had found another gear.
The two-time US PGA Tour winner played an excellent approach to the fifth for a birdie and another stunner to a tight pin on the seventh briefly had him five ahead at 20 under before Berger followed him in.
Molinari then failed to get up and own on the eighth and dropped to 13 under alongside Stenson who turned in 32 after birdies on the second, third, fifth and seventh.
Knox made the same mistake in the group behind but Matsuyama did well to save par after a poor tee-shot and the lead remained at four.
A second bogey in a row after a wild tee-shot dropped the Scotsman to 13 under while Stenson played a brilliant approach to birdie the 11th.
Ross Fisher and Rory McIlroy were then at 12 under, a shot clear of Rickie Fowler and two ahead of Sergio Garcia.
