Australian Brad Kennedy holds a three-shot lead going into the final round of the New Zealand Open.
Kennedy gave the Christchurch galleries a lot to savour on Saturday, shooting an action-filled four-under 68 in tricky conditions at the Clearwater Golf Club to put a healthy buffer between himself and the chasing pack.
The world No.228 was tied for the lead after 36 holes and made it all his own after 54 by making an eagle, seven birdies and five bogeys in a round that has only been bettered once all week.
His nine-under three-round total is clear of fellow overnight leader Josh Geary at six-under, a further stroke clear of Terry Pilkadaris in third and five ahead of Craig Parry, Rohan Blizard and Nicholas Cullen.
A strong breeze blowing across Clearwater throughout the day made the going tough and only 14 of the 72 golfers who survived the cut were able to break par on Saturday.
The rest of the field found birdies hard to come by, but not Kennedy.
The OneAsia Tour player birdied the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th for an outward half of three-under 33, then picked up further strokes at 10 and 14 before spectacularly spinning his second shot back into the cup on the 339m par-four 16th.
He was ahead by five with three holes to go but bogeyed his final two holes.
Geary made three birdies of his own and at one stage held the lead outright at seven-under after five holes of the third round.
He didn't pick up another until the 16th, a vital birdie nonetheless in terms of keeping Kennedy's advantage in check but gave it back at the 18th.
Saturday is known in tournament golfing circles as moving day and unfortunately for Parry, the 2002 New Zealand Open champion, he was heading the wrong way.
He boldly stated, without a trace of arrogance it should be pointed out, the previous evening that he had a mental edge over Kennedy, Geary and the rest of the field given his experience and the fact he has already lifted the Brodie Breeze Trophy.
The 45-year-old is also a noted wind player but couldn't get into a rhythm all day. He made only a pair of birdies and mixed them in with a bogey and a double on the 6th that he never recouped.
What he would have given for a birdie barrage to rival those of fellow Aussies Andrew Evans and Leigh Deagan, who share equal eighth at three-under.
Both rattled off five birdies in a row on their back nines, Evans' coming from the 12th to the 16th and Deagan's a hole earlier. Both carded three-under 69s.
Their chances of victory are slim, as are those of 18-year-old Jake Higginbottom although he is well placed to take some silverware away from Christchurch this week.
The highly-rated amateur led at one stage at six-under when birdying the 3rd and 4th, but imploded from thereon in.
He bogeyed the 6th, 11th and 13th then tripled the 17th to sign for a back nine 41 and a very disappointing 76.
The Queenslander has now led pro tournaments on both sides of the ditch, having been ahead after the opening round of last month's Australian Open, and is six ahead of Kiwi Tim Leonard in the race for the Bledisloe Cup for the top amateur.