England's Tyrrell Hatton is two shots off the lead ahead of the final round of the Asian Tour's PIF Saudi International as he targets a third worldwide win of 2024.
The world No 16 won his maiden LIV Golf event in Nashville in June before claiming victory at the DP World Tour's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland for a third time in October.
Hatton carded a bogey-free, five-under under 66 in Riyadh on Friday to rise to 15 under for the tournament and will hope to reel in pacesetter Joaquin Niemann as well as second-placed Peter Uihlein and Caleb Surratt in round four.
American player Surratt shot the round of the day in Saudi Arabia - a course-record 10-under 61 which featured eight birdies and an eagle - with Niemann birdieing his final hole for a six-under 65.
Uihlein shot a five-under 66 as he looks to back up last week's victory at the International Series Qatar.
Former Ryder Cup player Thomas Pieters is at 14 under following a six-under 65, during which he reeled off four gains in a row between five and eight and made six birdies on his front nine in total.
Cam Smith, The Open champion in 2022, is five shots adrift on 12 under after a final-hole bogey, with 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed also at that mark.
Homa loses Nedbank lead after poor back nine
Over at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, defending champion Max Homa surrendered his lead after a horror back nine in round two, leaving the American at three under, two behind Julien Guerrier and one shy of Romain Langasque and Ockie Strydom.
Homa, who led by one after round one, bounced back from a bogey at his fourth hole with birdies at six, nine and 10.
However, another dropped shot at the 12th was followed by successive double bogeys at 16 and 17 ahead of a closing par as the 34-year-old came home in 40 and signed for a three-over 75.
Frenchman Guerrier amassed eight birdies and four bogeys in a topsy-turvy four-under 68, with a highlight of his round a hole-out gain from a bunker at the eighth.
England's Andy Sullivan was up at seven under but then dropped four shots across his final four holes in Sun City, with a double bogey at 15 and bogeys at 17 and 18.
Sullivan is in joint fourth with countryman Matthew Jordan and American duo Homa and Johannes Veerman, while England's Laurie Canter and Paul Waring are in a group of four players at two under.
Watch round three of the Nedbank Golf Challenge live on Sky Sports Golf from 9am on Saturday or stream with NOW.
