Rory McIlroy will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Genesis Scottish Open after a battling 67 on day three at The Renaissance Club.
The Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex leader entered the weekend with a one-shot lead but had extended that to two at the turn as he produced some of the remarkable wedge play that had been on display in round two.
He did not have it all his own way on the back nine, however, coming home in level par as he got to 13 under, with South Korean Tom Kim matching his 67 to trim the gap to one.
England's Tommy Fleetwood and American Brian Harman were then at 11 under, a shot clear of World Number One Scottie Scheffler, 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry, first-round leader Byeong-hun An and American duo Eric Cole and JT Poston.
McIlroy is going in search of a second consecutive Rolex Series win after his Hero Dubai Desert Classic triumph in January and also a first win in Scotland to add to a CV that contains four Major Championships along with World Golf Championships, Harry Vardon Trophies and FedEx Cups.
But to do that he will not only have to overcome a world class field but also projected winds of up to 50mph, which have seen tee times moved forward for the second day in a row, with the final group teeing off at 8.57am local time.
"I'll just take it as it comes, really," said McIlroy. "It looks like it's going to be really, really windy, so I'll just try and control my ball flight as best as I can. It's going to be tough for everyone, just have to remember that and stick in and try to get it done.
"It was another really good round of golf. Very solid. I feel like I've left a few out there over the last couple of days but at the same time, at least the last few holes, it was quite tricky conditions.
"I played well. It's been a good three days and I'm looking forward to obviously being in the final group tomorrow and seeing how my game holds up under that sort of pressure.
"I'm still in a really good position. I feel like I've left a few out there but I mean, it's hard to be disappointed when you're in the lead going into the final day. I'll certainly take it."
Although he came into the weekend with just a one-shot lead, McIlroy still held that when he teed off and he quickly extended it to two thanks to a stunning approach to tap-in range to a tricky pin at the first.
Kim was forced to lay up at the par-five third after a ragged tee-shot but got up and down for his birdie, with McIlroy two-putting to stay two ahead.
The lead was down to one when Kim hit a beautiful tee-shot to to five feet at the par-three sixth but McIlroy hit back with an approach to similar range on the seventh.
Kim once again got up and down for a birdie on a par five at the tenth and he was let off the hook as McIlroy - after hitting a 366-yard drive and towering second - missed a four-footer for eagle and had to settle for a birdie of his own.
McIlroy made a bogey on the 12th as he missed the green off the tee but hit back on the next par three, holing from 15 feet on the 14th before dropping a shot at the next after coming up short of the green.
He then parred his way home, with Kim completing his round without a blemish.
"It was a pretty tough moving day for me," said Kim "Off the tee, I wasn't really in the right spot. But I think that's probably as good as I could have played. I hung in there and left myself a lot of tough shots but I had some nice up-and-downs to at least give myself a chance to have a good one tomorrow.
"I feel like when the wind blows, you've got to have a lot of patience and be mentally tough. Tomorrow is really a round for whoever really wants it the most and I'm definitely looking forward to the challenge."
Fleetwood started on the tenth having been six back at the start of the day but stormed through the field as he two-putted the tenth, holed from 11 feet on the 11th, made a 36-footer on the 14th and put his approach to a foot on the next.
His only dropped shot of the day came on the 17th but he birdied the 18th from 11 feet, two-putted the third, left himself nine feet on the seventh and put his tee-shot to five feet on the ninth in a 63.
Harman carded a 67 with four birdies and a single bogey, the highlight being his tee-shot to the 14th which hit the pin.
Cole made four birdies in a row from the third in a 64, with Irishman Lowry and Poston carding 65s, American Scheffler registering a 67 and South Korea's An a 69.
