Zander Lombard turned in 33 to take a share of the lead on a tough day of scoring at The Rocco Forte Open - Verdura, Sicily.
After a birdie-fest on days one and two, high winds created a very different picture on Saturday, with overnight leader Alvaro Quiros battling to the turn in level par and allowing the South African to join him at 15 under.
Neither Lombard nor Quiros have cards on the European Tour but are at very different stages of their career, with the Spaniard a six-time winner and Lombard playing just his 25th event.
Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey - another man without playing privileges - and Portuguese José-Filipe Lima were then at 13 under, a shot clear of England's David Horsey.
Quiros had holed four excellent birdie putts in a big finish on Friday and he instantly found his range again, holing an 18-footer on the first to get to 16 under.
The wind was making putting very difficult but Hoey made a beautiful, tricky right-to-lefter on the first to once again sit two shots back.
Big-hitting Lombard took advantage of the par five second and he was joined at 13 under by Lima who, after making birdie from the fringe on the first, chipped in on the fourth.
He gave the shot back on the fifth, however, and dropped back to 12 under where he was joined by Lombard after a bogey on the third.
The third was proving a very tough challenge for all the players in the wind and Hoey made a bogey after sending his tee-shot way left, with Quiros doing the same after sending his second to the right.
Another ragged tee-shot from Hoey led to a second consecutive bogey on the fourth and when Quiros got the putter going again to claim a birdie, the lead was up to four shots.
That did not last long, however, as a missed green and a poor chip on the par three fifth and a poor approach to the sixth led to back-to-back bogeys.
Lombard holed a 15-footer on the seventh to sit just a shot back and when Lima made a five-foot putt on the par five ninth, he too was just one off the lead.
Horsey made a brilliant start, putting his approach to the first tight for a birdie and then taking advantage of the par five next after hitting the green in two.
Bogeys on the third, fifth and eighth saw him slip back but an excellent holed bunker-shot on the par five ninth after a very ragged tee-shot brought a birdie and he was two back.
That was soon three when Lombard produced a bit of magic on the ninth, putting his second to eight feet despite playing from the second fairway and holing the eagle putt to take the lead.
Quiros hit back with a birdie of his own on the same hole to take back a share of top spot, with a Hoey gain moving him alongside Lima.
Local favourite Renato Paratore and South African Haydn Porteous were at 11 under, a shot ahead of Sweden's Sebastian Soderberg, Englishman Lee Slattery and clubhouse leader Pep Angles - whose 68 was the only sub-70 round of the day so far.
