Ryan Fox put himself in a strong position to claim his third victory of the 2022 season after posting a blemish-free 65 on Saturday to share the lead with Yannik Paul ahead of the final round of the Mallorca Golf Open.
New Zealander Fox fired six birdies and no bogeys on a day of unbelievably low scoring at Son Muntaner Golf Club to join Paul at the top of the leaderboard on 16 under par, with the German having earlier made three eagles and as many birdies in a sparkling 62.
Fox began the week third on the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex thanks to victories at the Ras al Khaimah Classic and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and knows a third win in 2022 - and fourth in total - would move him to second in the standings.
Paul picked up nine shots in his first 11 holes on day three, raising hopes of a sub-60 round, but he had to settle for a share of the lead after parring his way home.
Dale Whitnell and Marcus Armitage were in a tie for third on 14 under, although their course record was broken by fellow Englishman Richard Mansell who produced a stunning 61 to sit another shot further back in fifth.
Fox began his third round with a superb up-and-down for par following an errant tee-shot at the first, avoiding a first bogey since the opening hole on Thursday.
Birdies at the sixth and eighth took Fox to the turn in 33 before back-to-back gains on the tenth and 11th saw him climb to 14 under.
He holed his six-foot birdie putt at the 13th to get within one of Paul before pulling off an impressive par save after missing the green on the short 14th.
A tap-in birdie on the long 17th earned Fox a share of the lead and he had a chance at the last to hit the front on his own but was unable to take it.
Fox said: "Really solid. I probably only hit two bad shots - the tee-shot at the first and the tee-shot on the 14th.
"I gave myself plenty of chances again. Maybe felt like I left a couple out there but also made a few as well.
"It's always good to go bogey-free again, it's probably a record for me that many holes bogey-free so far this week.
"Hopefully I can continue that tomorrow.
"Obviously I'd like to get closer to (Rankings leader) Rory McIlroy and give him a bit of a run but it's nice knowing going into Dubai that I sort of hold it in my own hands. If I can go and win that event I can probably win the Harry Vardon Trophy.
"It's certainly a position I didn't expect to be in at the start of the year. I'm trying to treat these last couple of events - this one and Nedbank - that I can try to get as close as possible and try to make it a bit more interesting.
"But regardless I'm pretty happy to be here and tomorrow I'll just go out and do what I've done all year, just try to beat the golf course and see what happens."
Paul began the day four shots off the lead but closed the gap thanks to a magnificent start.
He almost holed his tee-shot at the short fourth before tidying up for a birdie there.
An eagle followed at the fifth after he drove the green and slotted in the 11-foot putt.
Paul chipped in from the rough just short of the bunker at the eighth for another eagle, having seen his tee-shot get a fortunate kick off the wall guarding the cart path.
He trickled in his ten-foot birdie putt at the ninth to turn in 29 before following up a five-foot birdie at the tenth with a third eagle of the day on the 11th from nine feet.
That got people dreaming about a 59 but Paul could not make any further progress and had to make do with a bogey-free 62.
He said: "It was obviously really good. I had three eagles today, that's obviously a special day.
"Once I made the eagle on the 11th, I was nine under through 11 and thought 'maybe I could shoot 59 today'.
"Then I played well, but just the putts didn't drop. But overall obviously really happy with my round."
