Andy Sullivan had his lead cut to three shots on the final day of the 2020 English Championship as he aimed to complete his fourth European Tour victory.
The Englishman had a five shot lead to defend at Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & CC on the day four of the latest leg of the UK Swing.
He reached the turn on two under to improve to 23 under par, but Spaniard Adrian Otaegui recorded five birdies to move within three strokes at the turn.
Sullivan, who last won at the Portugal Masters in 2015, gave the chasing pack early hope when he found long rough and a bunker on the first hole, but he sunk a nerve-settling eight footer to save par.
And when he followed it with an eagle at the second - his fourth of the week - he moved six shots clear of a contested chasing pack, with seven players tied for second at one point.
Sullivan isn't taking his foot off the gas 🦅#EnglishChampionship #GolfForGood pic.twitter.com/NtCnKKSaOu
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 9, 2020
A bogey on the fourth dropped Sullivan back to 22 under and, after steadying himself with a par at the fifth, he just slid a 12 foot birdie putt on the next to the right of the hole.
Otaegui, meanwhile, followed up birdies on the first and second with back-to-back gains on sixth and seventh to move within three.
Sullivan could not respond at the seventh as his approach to the par four slid off the back of the green, but a fine chip left him with a tap in for another par.
Both players parred the eighth and Otaegui reached the turn in 31 as he birdied the par five ninth.
But Sullivan responded with his first birdie of the round on the par five ninth to restore his three-shot lead.
South African Wilco Nienaber completed the front nine in five under, thanks to three birdies and an eagle on the second, and an impressive putt from the edge of the green on the par five 12th moved him to 19 under.
Dane Rasmus Højgaard was on 18 under after six birdies in his opening 13 holes while South African Dean Burmester was a further shot off the pace.
Steven Brown had started the day as the closest challenger to his 2011 Walker Cup team-mate Sullivan, and he was one under through nine - six shots back - after two birdies, a bogey and six pars.
