Jordan Smith turned in 31 at Kingsbarns Golf Links to open up a one shot lead on day three of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
After carding a brilliant, bogey free 64 at St Andrews on day one, the Englishman kept himself right in the hunt with a battling 68 at Carnoustie on Friday.
He then made five birdies on the back nine on day three to move to 17 under and lead the way by one shot from home favourite Calum Hill, who was playing Carnoustie.
Italian Andrea Pavan and England's Paul Waring were then at 15 under, a shot clear of overnight leader Matthew Jordan.
Smith was two shots off the lead when he teed off at 9.00am but he quickly jumped out in front with a hat-trick of birdies from the 11th.
Hill made a birdie at the third to get to 14 under and then joined the lead as he picked up another shot on the fourth.
Smith edged back ahead with a birdie on the 16th but when Hill made another gain on the sixth, the lead was shared and they were two ahead.
Waring - playing at Carnoustie - birdied the tenth and 12th to edge towards the top of the leaderboard and an eagle on the par five 14th jumped him to 15 under.
Pavan joined him two shots off the lead with a birdie on the ninth at St Andrews to go with gains on the third, fourth, sixth and eighth, and a bogey on the seventh.
A Smith gain on the 18th then gave him some breathing room from the chasing pack.
Jordan was level through four holes at Carnoustie to sit a shot ahead of Joakim Lagergren, Justin Rose and Matthew Southgate.
