Jeff Winther opened up a one shot lead over Jorge Campillo with nine holes to play as he looked for a breakthrough win at the 2020 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
The Dane secured a debut season on the European Tour in 2016 via the European Challenge Tour but needed three successful trips to the Qualifying School before retaining his playing privileges last term.
He turned in 34 at Education City Golf Club to get to 15 under and lead the way from Spaniard Campillo, who played his first nine holes in level par.
Scot David Drysdale and Swede Niklas Lemke were then at 13 under, a shot clear of another Swede in Alexander Björk and Finn Kalle Samooja.
There was a two shot swing on the very first hole as Winther put his approach to ten feet and Campillo made a bogey.
The overnight leader was back in a share of top spot as he took advantage of the par five second from six feet, with Drysdale playing a beautiful bunker shot to save par on the fourth.
The 44-year-old took advantage with a birdie from ten feet on the next to make it a three way tie, as Winther missed a golden birdie opportunity from six feet.
He would make no mistake on the seventh and after putting another approach in tight, he was at the top on his own.
Lemke had started the day eight shots off the lead but he birdied the second, fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth to turn in 31.
A very long putt from off the 11th green had him at 12 under and when he took advantage of the par five 13th, he was just two back.
Drysdale soon found himself there when he missed a very short putt on the eighth, while on the 14th Lemke was doing the opposite, holing a very long one to get to 14 under.
A three putt on the next then dropped Lemke back to two off the lead.
Samooja had three birdies and a bogey in his opening ten holes, with Bjork making a single birdie on the front nine.
