Luke Buttigieg at Coolum, Sportal
South Korean KT Kim has fired a third-straight round in the 60s to grab the 54-hole lead at the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum from American Bubba Watson.
They'll head out in the final group on Sunday, soon after the second-last pairing of Aaron Baddeley, who holds down outright third and David Bransdon, the pair having both like Kim signed for five-under 67s.
On a day when overnight pacesetter Marcus Fraser, his playing partner Watson and four-time champion Robert Allenby also spent periods leading, Kim shared top billing with Fraser and Watson midway through the front nine and then simply kept coming as the other three fell away.
Fresh from impressing for the International team at last week's Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, the world No.24 had a flawless day as he matched his Friday score to move to 13 under overall.
But having now gone 27 holes without a bogey, the four-time Japan Tour winner still only leads by one from Watson after three days, the left-hander steadying from a double bogey at 15 with a birdie at 17 and then holing a five-metre par-saver at 18 to shoot 69.
Two further back at 10 under is Victorian Baddeley, who was the only player besides Kim not to drop a shot for the day while Bransdon, Kim's compatriot and 2009 US PGA champion YE Yang (70) and Fraser (74) share fourth place at minus nine.
At eight under are Matthew Giles (68) and Allenby (71) while Rod Pampling's round-of-the-day 66 took him to minus seven and a share of ninth with Australian Open champ Greg Chalmers (69), Aaron Townsend (71) and John Senden (72).
Veteran Greg Norman mixed six birdies with three bogeys to be at six under overall after a 69, level with Stuart Appleby (72), Jason Day (72), Adam Scott (73), Kurt Barnes (72) and Marc Leishman (71).
Watson issued an immediate challenge to Fraser when they began their rounds just before midday, vaulting into a share of the lead when he eagled the par-three 1st for the second day running.
Within two holes Fraser's cushion was back to two as Watson made bogey and Fraser followed with a birdie but a bogey to the Victorian and birdie to Watson at the 4th saw them level again and they both also birdied the 5th to get pull clear of Kim on 12 under.
Allenby's five birdies in his first dozen holes saw him join Fraser and Watson at that score but a sixth birdie at the 16th was his only joy coming home as he bogeyed 13, like Watson would later doubled 15 and also bogeyed his final two holes.
Having only had two bogeys through his first 47 holes this week, Fraser made a double bogey at the 12th and then also bogeyed 14 as he fell off four shots from the lead Watson had opened up with another birdie at 12 and from there it was about hanging on for Fraser.
Through it all Kim continued to show his liking for the course as he seeks to overhaul current OneAsia money list leader Andre Stolz in that tour's final event, following up the three birdies he had on end from the 3rd with two more at 12 and 15.
And he very nearly holed a long birdie putt at the last that would have doubled his lead, having no trouble knocking in the testing par putt coming back to stay clear of Watson.