Michael Campbell was joined by playing partner Zhang Lian-wei at the top of the UBS Hong Kong Open leaderboard when the third round got under way in Fanling.
The New Zealander, continuing a remarkable return to form seven years after winning the US Open Championship, made a perfect start with a 15 foot birdie putt at the first to reach ten under par.
He then did well to rescue par from ten feet at the third after his drive bounced off a cart path into a stream, but Zhang followed a birdie two at the second with one from 12 feet there to join him in top spot.
They were two clear of Swede Fredrik Andersson Hed and two-time winner Miguel Angel Jiménez, both of whom were level par for the day, as well as Dane Anders Hansen –who rolled in a ten footer at the second for birdie.
The early clubhouse target was set by France’s Raphaël Jacquelin, who matched the best round of the week with a 64 to lie in sixth place on six under.
Andrew Dodt, needing to climb three places on The Race to Dubai to keep his European Tour card, did his chances no harm by playing the first 11 holes in two under to move into a tie for 11th.
A superb approach to the fourth brought Zhang another birdie and the outright lead, and when he got up and down from a greenside bunker at the fifth the 47 year old had needed just five putts in his opening five holes.
He needed three at the next, but so did Campbell and with both players bogeying Zhang was one clear of his playing partner and Andersson Hed; who after bogeying the second birdied the third and sixth.
