Jon Rahm was chasing history as he opened up a commanding seven shot lead with nine holes to play at the Mutuactivos Open de España.
Club de Campo Villa de Madrid was the venue where the late, great Seve Ballesteros claimed his 50th and final European Tour win 24 years ago and Rahm was hunting down one of his records in the capital.
It took Ballesteros 49 events to claim five European Tour wins but Rahm was on course to do it in ten fewer as he looked to successfully defend the title he won a year ago.
Victory would also make Rahm the first back to back winner of the event since Max Faulkner in 1953, while he was also chasing the tournament record score to par of 22 under and record winning margin of eight shots.
The lowest winning score to par on the 2019 Race to Dubai is also 22 under, with Bryson DeChambeau's seven shot triumph in Dubai the largest winning margin.
The World Number Five turned in 32 to get to 21 under, with Samuel Del Val - a man sitting 1,408 places below Rahm in the Official World Golf Ranking - his closest challenger.
A top four finish would also see Rahm move to the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex after he also claimed victory at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open earlier in the season.
Starting with a five shot advantage, Rahm brushed the edge for birdie on the first three holes and was showing signs of frustration but that was all forgotten on the par five fourth as he put a stunning second to four feet for an eagle and a seven shot lead.
He needed to get up and down from a greenside bunker to save par at the sixth but was back on the birdie trail from 12 feet after laying up at the par five next.
The lead was briefly eight shots but Del Val, who had bogeyed the third after going over the back of the green but hit back at the par five next, followed playing partner Rahm in for a two putt birdie.
An approach to four feet then handed Del Val another gain on the eighth and the lead was down to six.
Rahm was relentless, however, and holed from 16 feet for a birdie on the par three ninth.
Home favourites Adri Arnaus and Rafa Cabrera Bello, Dane Joachim B Hansen, South Africans Justin Harding and Zander Lombard, and Australian Jason Scrivener were nine shots off the lead.
