Andy Sullivan will take a two shot lead into the final round of the 2020 Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World following a composed 68 at Jumeirah Golf Estates - Fire Course.
Sullivan has been in fine form in Dubai following a stunning opening round of 61 before a patient 66 on Friday helped him sit three strokes clear at 17 under par.
The front nine on Moving Day presented plenty of opportunities to card birdies and Sullivan carded three as he reached the turn with a comfortable four shot advantage.
Playing partners Matt Wallace and Ross Fisher were in hot pursuit, with the former cutting the deficit to one stroke with three holes remaining, but Sullivan finished birdie-birdie-par to get to 21 under par ahead of Saturday's final round.
"I'm happy with four under," Sullivan said. "I didn't think I played brilliant golf. Started off really nicely front nine, played really solid.
"Ten through to 14 I didn't really swing that great, didn't give myself many chances, dug deep and managed to get a few birdies coming home. Four under is a fair reflection of how I played.
"All in all, stayed patient and got my just desserts coming in with those two birdies. That's what we were talking about before we got out there, it's about being patient and I'm sure it will be the same tomorrow.
"There's a lot of golf to be played, a lot of birdies to be made tomorrow. Just got to go out there and play golf. If I play as good as I did the first two days I'll be a confident man."
🏴 -21 Sullivan
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 4, 2020
🏴 -19 Wallace
🇮🇹 -18 Paratore
🏴 -18 R. Fisher
🇮🇹 -17 Laporta
🇫🇷 -17 Rozner
With one round to go at the #GolfInDubai.
Soft greens encouraged aggressive play at the pins and, with the front nine playing easier than earlier in the week, the leading players took full advantage with an explosion of red numbers.
Sullivan made a fast start with a birdie from six feet at the first to get to 18 under as Wallace followed suit from concessional range before Robert MacIntyre burst into contention.
MacIntyre opened up with a birdie before dialling in with his irons as his tee shot into the par three second rolled to within four feet and he went even closer with his approach at the next for a hat-trick of gains.
He rolled in a 12 foot effort at the fourth and when he made it five birdies in a row at the fifth, he was tied for second at 15 under.
The Scot produced a wonderful five wood at the seventh to 21 feet before rolling in the eagle putt to sit within one of the leader.
MacIntyre salvaged par from 44 feet at the next, which proved crucial as Sullivan moved two ahead to 19 under with a birdie at the fifth.
MacIntyre turned in 29 for the front nine but it was the leader who made the next move as his eagle putt at the seventh pulled up just short and when he tapped in for birdie, he was at 20 under.
Fisher recorded back to back gains from the sixth to join Frenchman Antoine Rozner at 16 under, with Wallace sitting alongside them after a birdie at the seventh.
A par at the eighth was enough for Sullivan to increase his lead to four shots as MacIntyre three putted for a double bogey at the 11th, but Fisher recorded his third birdie in a row to reduce the gap to three.
Fisher missed a short par putt to record his first bogey of the week to slip back to 16 under with Italian Francesco Laporta after he rolled in his sixth birdie of the day at the 12th - four shots adrift of Sullivan.
The leader started his back nine by finding the bunker with his tee shot, resulting in his first dropped shot of the round.
Wallace climbed to 16 under following a birdie from 40 feet at the tenth and looked to capitalise on Sullivan's halted momentum.
Fisher rolled in a birdie at the 12th to move within two of Sullivan before Wallace joined him at 17 under with an similar effort from 15 foot at the same hole.
Laporta briefly increased the chasing pack to three when he carded his seventh gain of the round at the 16th, only to hand the shot back at the next.
Renato Paratore replaced his fellow Italian at 17 under with his sixth birdie but Wallace was on the charge when he dialled his tee shot into the par three 14th to six feet.
He rolled in the birdie to sit one adrift of Sullivan, who was struggling to create makeable birdie chances.
A rare opportunity for the leader came at the next but his effort pulled up short as Wallace remained on his coattails with a crucial par save.
Sullivan broke his barren run at the 16th when he narrowly missed his eagle putt to return to 20 under, but Wallace and Fisher both carded birdies to remain one and two behind respectively.
Four time European Tour winner Sullivan's confidence was boosted and he produced another fine approach to the 17th green to six feet to pick up another shot.
Paratore finished with a birdie at the last to card a flawless 65 to join Fisher, who was an inch short for a gain at the last, at 18 under.
Sullivan could not drain his birdie putt but his two shot lead remained intact as Wallace missed a turning effort from four feet.
Laporta and Rozner were in a tie for fifth at 17 under, while France's Mike Lorenzo-Vera holed an monster 68 foot eagle putt to climb to 16 under alongside, MacIntyre, Swedish duo Niklas Lemke and Oscar Lengden and German Max Schmitt.
