Sweden’s Michael Jonzon has a one shot lead going into the final round of the CASTELLÓ MASTERS Costa Azahar in Spain.
The former Portuguese Open champion is 158th on The Race to Dubai and needs to finish first or second this week to be sure of keeping his European Tour card.
But even after a six under par 65 swept him to 16 under, Jonzon is under enormous pressure because joint second are defending champion Sergio Garcia on his home course and also Martin Kaymer, who can return to the top of The Race to Dubai by winning his first event since breaking toes in a go-kart crash in August.
For a while it looked as though England's Sam Hutsby, playing only his third European Tour event as a professional, was going to provide the story of the day.
The 20 year old from Hampshire, runner-up in the British Amateur Championship in June and a Walker Cup debutant last month, kept pace with Jonzon for much of the round, but he bogeyed the last for a 66 that left him in fourth place on 14 under.
Jonzon, fourth at halfway two behind Kaymer and Australian Robert Allenby, turned in 33 and then added further birdies at the tenth, 13th and 14th before parring in.
He is 482nd in the World Rankings, whereas Garcia is ranked tenth and Kaymer 12th.
Hutsby, though, is down at 1,374th - the position given to all those who have zero ranking points.
On his two previous starts since switching codes he missed the cut at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and Madrid Masters, but this time he has been making the most of an invitation from tournament host Garcia.
"I'm enjoying every minute," he said. "It's not really sunk in yet that I'm playing on Tour. Hopefully I can sleep well tonight and then keep to my course management plan under pressure."
If he was to win he would instantly earn a two-year exemption without the need to go to the Qualifying School.
Garcia shot a bogey-free 67, saving par from 18 feet on the last after driving into sand, while Kaymer came back from a double bogey at the short second to record a 68.
Allenby dropped two shots on the second after going over the green and then chipping into water and fell back to seventh with a level par 71.
Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie, meanwhile, is in a share of 12th place after a day that began in nightmare fashion, but ended on a real high.
Completing his third round first, Montgomerie had double bogeys at the 16th and 17th to fall ten behind, but then birdied the last and followed with a 64 that was his lowest round since his last victory at the 2007 European Open.
"I've gone back to a short putter and am putting much better," he said. "But this year has a complete and utter ... one to write off.
"I need to go and get my game sorted out - my irons are not accurate enough."
