Julian Suri and Callum Shinkwin will share a two shot lead heading into the final round of the Hero Indian Open after a dramatic finish to day three at DLF Golf and Country Club.
Shinkwin spent most of round three chasing overnight leader Suri and when the Englishman tapped in for a 68 and an 11 under par total, he was still two shots behind his American rival.
But Suri put his tee shot on the last into a hazard and found terrible lies with both his third and fifth shots to record a double bogey seven and fall back into a share of the lead.
Japan's Masahiro Kawamura recovered from a triple bogey on the eighth to come home in 31 and sit at nine under, a shot clear of Scotland's Stephen Gallacher who signed for a 67.
Swede Robert Karlsson was then at seven under, with ten players within five shots of the lead at an event that had looked for a long time to be a two horse race.
Shinkwin is playing on an invite this week after finishing 119th on last season's Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex, and will go in search of a first European Tour title on Sunday.
"I lost my card last year by a couple of spots so I know I can get it back if I play well so I just have to trust what I can do and let it happen," he said.
"I just want to play as well as I can, if I do win that’s great, if I don’t then I know my time will come soon."
Suri is playing just his second event of the season after surgery on an abdominal hernia but has showed no signs of rust and was making serene progress until his stumble on the 18th.
“I think a couple of the mistakes I made today were after long waits on the tee box and that was quite a long wait on 18," he said. "No excuses, totally my fault, and I need to compose myself better and I think that is a bit of a learning curve for me after being out of tournament golf for a while now.
“I am feeling good with my overall game despite 18 there, the game feels good."
Suri made birdies from around eight feet on the first and second to briefly regain the four shot lead he had established on the previous afternoon.
Shinkwin had been the nearest challenger then and the 25-year-old picked up a shot on the third from ten feet to move back into second.
A first bogey of the day from Suri as he failed to get up and down on the par three third trimmed his advantage and it was down to two as Shinkwin got on the par five fourth green in two.
Suri went a long way left off the tee at the seventh and had to play out sideways, surrendering a bogey to see his lead cut to one.
The leader got on the green in two at the par five eighth for a birdie but Shinkwin played an excellent chip to set up a birdie ahead on the driveable par four ninth.
Suri birdied the same hole from 12 feet and when he muscled his second out of the rough on the next to three feet, his advantage was back up the three.
Shinkwin holed from ten feet for a birdie on the 11th and while he three putted the 14th, Suri also dropped a shot after failing to get up and down on the toughest hole on the course.
A wonderful chip from a tricky lie in the rough allowed Shinkwin to bounce straight back on the par five next, and Suri followed suit after laying up and putting his approach to six feet.
Shinkwin then parred his way home but Suri's late slip set up a potentially dramatic final day.
Kawamura made a bright start with birdies on the first and fifth but put two balls in the water at the par five eighth to surrender that triple bogey.
A hat-trick of birdies from the 11th brought him back into contention, and the 25-year-old hit a stunning approach into the 17th and got on the green at the par five last in two to come home in 31.
Gallacher turned in 34 with three birdies and a bogey but when he dropped a shot on the 11th he was a long way back. A hat-trick of birdies followed and a long putt on the 16th meant the 2014 Ryder Cup star was back in the hunt.
Karlsson was three over for his round as he stood on the 15th tee but took advantage of the two par fives on the way home to sit four off the lead.
Local favourite S Chikkarangappa fired the lowest round of the day with a 66 to sit at six under alongside South African George Coetzee, Finn Mikko Korhonen, England's James Morrison and Austrian Matthias Schwab.
