Hideki Matsuyama maintained his three-shot lead as the final round of the WGC-HSBC Champions got under way in Shanghai.
The 24 year old made a single birdie in his first four holes to get to 18 under and keep his advantage over defending champion Russell Knox and American Daniel Berger.
Francesco Molinari - the 2010 champion - was then at 14 under, a shot clear of Bill Haas and two ahead of Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson.
Matsuyama was looking to make history at Sheshan International Golf Club by becoming the first Japanese player to win an individual World Golf Championships event and just the second Japanese winner in European Tour history after Isao Aoki at the 1983 European Open.
Knox, meanwhile, was looking to become just the second player to successfully defend a WGC crown after 18-time winner Tiger Woods.
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.
McIlroy had birdies on the second, fifth and seventh, and Stenson had gains on the second, third and sixth to leave the pair at 12 under.
Ross Fisher was then a further shot back, one ahead of Shane Lowry, Thomas Pieters and Rickie Fowler.
