Mike Lorenzo-Vera extended his lead to four shots as Jon Rahm moved top of the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex on day three of the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
The Frenchman carded a brilliant 63 on day one and has been top of the leaderboard ever since, turning in 33 on Saturday to get to 15 under as he seeks a first European Tour victory.
Rahm entered the day third in the season long battle but he turned in 34 to get to 11 under and share second at the event with World Number Two Rory McIlroy.
Race to Dubai leader Bernd Wiesbeger was one over for his round and 13 shots off the lead, meaning a tie for second with one other would be good enough to make Rahm Europe's Number One.
A victory for Rahm would make him the first player to win four Rolex Series events.
McIlroy was five under for his first 11 holes to sit two shots ahead of English pair Tommy Fleetwood and Danny Willett.
There was a change early as Rahm almost holed his second at the first and made a six foot putt to get to ten under and take provisional top spot in the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex.
He took advantage of the par five second but he was not the only big name making a move, with Fleetwood also birdieing the second to get into double figures.
McIlroy holed a 12 footer from the fringe at the first and then got up and down from the sand for a birdie on the second to get within four.
The Northern Irishman hit what he described as his best shot of the year to set up an eagle on the last on day one and he repeated the trick at the seventh on Saturday, putting his second to five feet to join Fleetwood at ten under.
He was not there for long, however, as he holed a 20 foot left to righter on the eighth to sit just one shot off the lead.
Lorenzo-Vera started with five pars but he put a stunning tee shot to four feet for a birdie on the sixth, only for Rahm to hit back from eight feet on the par five seventh.
The leader also made the most of the par five after an excellent pitch and Rahm missed the green at the eighth for a first bogey of the day that extended the advantage to three shots.
That dropped shot also briefly put Wiesberger back in the lead for the Race to Dubai but the Austrian made three bogeys in a row from the 11th to put Rahm back on top.
Lorenzo-Vera then birdied from the fringe at the ninth to lead by four as Fleetwood bogeyed the same hole.
Defending champion Willett was six under for the day through 14 holes.
