George Murray's rollercoaster ride at this week's Portugal Masters continued with a third round 65 at Oceânico Victoria.
The Scot was in third place after his opening 66, but then survived the halfway cut with nothing to spare on level par after slumping to a 76.
In dire need of a big finish to preserve his European Tour status - he is down in 163rd place with a month to go before the top 115 keep their cards - Murray hit back from a first hole bogey with seven birdies, five of them in a back nine 31.
On six under par the 29 year old was only four behind England's Ross Fisher, who had yet to start the defence of his three stroke halfway lead.
In joint second place were Murray's fellow countryman Stephen Gallacher, Austrian Bernd Wiesberger and also Australian Andrew Dodt after he also had seven birdies in his first 17 holes.
Swede Fredrik Andersson Hed was the first to eat into Fisher's lead, birdies at the second and third lifting him to eight under, but the former Ryder Cup player pitched to three feet on the second himself and by holing to reach 11 under was three in front again.
