Callum Tarren will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship after holding off the chasing pack on a roller-coaster third day at Royal Golf Club.
The Englishman went into day three with a two-shot lead but was caught at the summit early on after opening with three straight pars.
His round then burst into life, with birdies at the fourth, sixth and seventh sending him four clear at the top of the leaderboard.
But there were more twists and turns to come as three bogeys in five holes from the eighth allowed countryman Dan Brown to join him at the top.
The 34-year-old was never overtaken on Saturday, though, and finished the day alone at the summit on 13 under par after parring his way home to sign for a level-par 72.
Callum Tarren: I’m a bit frustrated really. I got off to such a good start, felt so comfortable. I just missed a few putts in that mid-section of the round, three-putted the eighth, a short one at the ninth, a good chance at the tenth and didn’t capitalise.
At the 11th I felt like the tee-shot wasn’t bad, it got a hard kick right, I think. Then it’s tough to that back flag, a short putt on the next. And then I kind of hung in there coming in. Frustrated but still in the lead and we’ll go again tomorrow.
I’ve felt comfortable all week and I felt comfortable out there today. The start showed it – through seven holes I was cruising. Just a couple of missed putts here and there but that’s golf.
Final group tomorrow again and I have the lead so there’s lots of positives to take from it.
But he will face strong competition from the high-quality quartet in second place as he seeks a maiden DP World Tour win, with Spain’s Pablo Larrazábal, Italian Francesco Laporta and Englishmen Brown and Brandon Robinson Thompson just one shot back on 12 under.
Pablo Larrazábal: It was a shaky start, bogey, bogey. Making that 12 foot par putt on the third, it made me realise I had 15 holes to play, and then another 18 to play. I managed myself pretty nice to get back to level par on the front nine.
The putter has not been working that well, but I had a look at the leaderboard on the 15th green and the leader went from 16 under to 13. I realised I was only two behind and made that putt. Coming in I could have made a birdie on 17, but happy to be one or two behind going into tomorrow.
I wish we had a leaderboard on every hole, I like to know where I am. I play golf to compete and I want to know where I am. The same way I looked at the leaderboard on Thursday afternoon knowing I was 12 behind at one point before teeing it up, I loved arriving to the 15th green only two behind.
I’ve played almost 450 tournaments but the nerves are still there because I care about it. Nothing better than to win a golf tournament.
Marcel Schneider of Germany, Englishman Laurie Canter, Frenchman Martin Couvra and Italy’s Andrea Pavan are then at 11 under.