Paul Waring carded a stunning 65 at Carnoustie Golf Links to set the clubhouse target as day three of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship edged towards its conclusion.
The Englishman may have been facing his toughest test of the week with the wind up on the difficult layout but you would not have known it as he made five birdies and an eagle to get to 18 under.
Frenchman Victor Perez was alongside him with five holes left to play at Kingsbarns, a shot clear of Swede Joakim Lagergren - who finished with an eagle in his 68 at St Andrews - American Tony Finau and England's Matthew Southgate.
Local favourite Calum Hill and England's Jordan Smith had spent the early part of the day jostling at the top of the leaderboard but first Waring and then Perez would pass them.
Waring had birdied the tenth and 12th before an eagle on the par five 14th had him within one of the lead and, while Smith briefly led by two after a birdie on the 18th at Kingsbarns, that was as good as it got for the 26-year-old.
Waring birdied the third to get into a four way tie at the top and when he holed a long putt on the next he held the solo lead - but Perez was making his move.
The man based in Dundee had made gains on the 12th, 16th and 18th at Kingsbarns before two birdies in a row from the second rocketed him up the leaderboard.
Waring holed a 30 footer on the eighth to edge back ahead but Perez replied from ten feet on the fourth to join him.
Lagergren had been having a fairly quiet day on the Old Course with three birdies and a bogey before he drove the ninth and made his putt to catapult into second.
Finau was six under for his round at the Old Course with two to play, while Southgate had six holes remaining at St Andrews.
Smith and Andrea Pavan were in the clubhouse at 16 under, a shot clear of Hill, defending champion Lucas Bjerregaard, two time winner Tyrrell Hatton and Jeunghun Wang.
