Min Woo Lee fired a second consecutive round of 66 to extend his lead to three shots heading into the final day of the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship.
The home fans were given a treat as Australian Lee went out in the final group with countryman and 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott and it was the 25-year-old who shone, moving to 17 under while the former world number one signed for a level-par 71.
Japan's Rikuya Hoshino matched the round of the day with a 64 to emerge as the nearest challenger but all eyes will be on Lee as he looks to improve on last year’s tie for fourth and get his 2024 DP World Tour season off to a flying start.
"At the end of last week the season technically ended but the year hasn’t ended and I wanted a win on the DP World Tour, so it was in the back of my mind and I wanted to win," he said.
"So yeah, it will be amazing. Any win’s awesome. I have the potential to win but I’ve only had three wins, so it’s not like it comes off. Any time you win it’s an amazing feeling.
"Tomorrow’s just another day and hopefully I can keep going. I can just control what I can do and if someone goes out there and shoots low, hopefully I’ve finished the day happy with the way I played."
Impressive wedge play was the hallmark of Lee’s round as he made eight birdies – largely from close range – and dropped shots on the par-three fourth and eighth.
Hoshino was bogey-free and came home in 29 to sit at 14 under, a shot ahead of Australian Curtis Luck and three clear of Scott.
Scotland’s Connor Syme matched Hoshino’s 64, making six birdies on the front nine to get to 10 under alongside home favourite Lucas Herbert.
Of the Irish in action, Conor Purcell shot 70 to head into Sunday on five-under-par and in a tie for 27th. Tom McKibbin edged his way up the leaderboard with a three-under round of 68 to sit tied-43rd on three-under-par overall.
