Alex Noren admits he will have to produce another brilliant final round at Wentworth Club if he is to successfully defend his BMW PGA Championship title on Sunday.
Noren entered the final day of the inaugural Rolex Series event last season seven shots off the lead but produced a stunning course-record 62 to win by two shots from Francesco Molinari - the co-leader he trails by four shots this time around.
The Swede produced a birdie-birdie finish to sign for a 70 on Saturday in Surrey but he believes he will have to go lower than that if he is to join Jon Rahm as a multiple Rolex Series winner.
"There are very good players at the top," he said. "If I get my tee-shots better throughout the whole round that should give me some more opportunities. You never know but it's golf, anything can happen. I need to really play well.
"I was playing well today, hitting most fairways and most greens up until 14. I was very, very happy, felt very calm out there. It was so different from yesterday. Yesterday I holed all the putts and now I didn't hole that many, then it got eventful.
"I hit some wayward shots on 15, 16 and 17 - I got quite lucky getting a shot from the right rough or just behind the trees but that's how golf is. If I would spread out those bad shots, I thought it was a good round. It's tricky today, very windy. I'm just happy to have a chance."
Branden Grace is another man going for a second Rolex Series win and is also one of the players Noren leapfrogged on his way to his 2017 triumph.
The South African was one shot off the lead heading into the final round last season but came home in 40 to finish in a tie for ninth, and he too will need to overturn a four-shot deficit.
"Last year I actually played really well," he said. "I think I just made one stupid call on 12, that was pretty much it. I played some proper, solid golf, even in the final round.
"Tomorrow, I don't know what the weather has got in store for us, maybe a little bit of rain, things like that. I'll just play the same game and try to hit the same shots and just try to copy what I did the last couple of days."
Ross Fisher is also at nine under and despite a long history of playing at Wentworth, he is wary of potential wet weather on Sunday.
The tee-times have been brought forward with the threat of thunderstorms in the afternoon and Fisher knows the West Course can change dramatically depending on the conditions.
"It was tricky," he said. "It was wet, it was cold. You had to hit fairways and I missed a few fairways and around this place, when it's wet and cold, you are going to struggle.
"Thankfully the course is still playing remarkably well. The greens were definitely a bit firmer and a little bit quicker today than they were yesterday afternoon. They got quite soft and quite slow. It was really difficult to get your pace on the greens yesterday, I left a heck of a lot of putts short. So it was nice to see them firm up again today and be a little bit quicker.
"Unfortunately I think the forecast is not looking too great tomorrow. So I was just pleased to shoot that score today. It put me in a good position and what happens tomorrow, we'll just have to wait and see."
Completing the group four off the lead is Fisher's fellow Englishman Sam Horsfield and the rookie is looking forward to the biggest day of his career so far.
"It's great," he said. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I don't know what the weather is like but it's playing tough out there and anything can happen.
"You've just got to get on a good roll. I feel really confident in my putter, I just have to hit a few more greens and give myself some more opportunities tomorrow."
