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Cape Town - Justin Rose has everything to play for as he heads into the final round of the DP World Tour Championship with a one stroke lead.
The Englishman signed for a flawless seven under 65 around the Jumeirah Golf Estates course, moving him to 15 under for the tournament, one stroke ahead of rising star Jon Rahm and lesser-known South African Dylan Frittelli.
It was a day perfect for low scoring in Dubai, with very little wind and kind pin positions as no less than eight players posted 65 or less.
Rose was superb, rolling in seven birdies, including a 36-foot putt on the par four 16th that earned him the outright lead.
"I know what I need to do to stay at the top of the leaderboard," said the 37-year-old after the round.
"But if I slip up tomorrow, he's right there. He's done everything he needs to do on his end, so it's a lot of fun.
"An opportunity, that's the way I'm going to look at it. Don't see much pressure on myself tomorrow. This is going to be a day just to go for it really and play well.
"There's going to be a lot of good players and it's going to be a day where you have to play good golf."
Rose will win the Race to Dubai if he claims the silverware on Sunday, but leader Tommy Fleetwood is still in the hunt, two shots off the lead after second consecutive 65 to improve to T4 with Dean Burmester.
"It's massive, it really is," said Fleetwood of the European Tour finale.
"But above all, whether I win it or not or whether Justin wins it, one of us will have deserved it.
"It's been an absolute pleasure trying to win a Race to Dubai, coming down these last few events and especially this week, now. The week could have gone not quite how you wanted it, not being in contention or anything. So last day of the season and I've got a chance to win the Race to Dubai, it's cool.
"It's the biggest thing I've ever tried to achieve. I was in contention in the US Open and Mexico but they were one or two rounds. This has been all year and you come down to the final event."
Fritelli would enjoy a birdie-birdie-birdie start and then sprinted home with four more birdies in his last five holes to card a sizzling nine under 63, while Rahm posted a 65.
Race to Dubai contender Sergio Garcia earned his lowest round of the week, a five under 67, then moved him to ten under.
Leaderboard:
201 - Justin Rose 66-70-65
202 - Dylan Fritelli (RSA) 71-68-63, Jon Rahm (ESP) 69-68-65
203 - Tommy Fleetwood 73-65-65, Dean Burmester (RSA) 70-68-65, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 69-67-67
204 - Peter Uihlein (USA) 71-68-65, Paul Dunne 67-70-67, Julian Suri (USA) 68-68-68, Tyrrell Hatton 72-63-69
