Richard Bland battled a back injury as he completed a brilliant comeback to be right in contention after two rounds of the British Masters supported by Sky Sports.
The Englishman finished with a bogey on Thursday to card a 67 and started with two more on Friday but birdies on the fifth and seventh holes got him back on track.
The 42 year old then pitched in on the 11th for eagle and picked up two more shots on the way in to sign for second consecutive 67 and move to within a shot of the lead held by Søren Kjeldsen and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
"Not the start I was looking for, really," he said.
"To compound it, I dropped a silly shot on nine late last night from the middle of the fairway so I felt like I'd given three shots to the field in three holes.
"I tried to stay patient, I knew I was playing well enough to give myself the chances and fortunately when I did give myself the chances I pretty much took them."
What makes Bland's battling effort all the more remrakable is that he was struggling with back pain from the fourth hole onwards and even had a visit from the physio on on the 12th tee after he had made his eagle.
"I was struggling with my back most of the day and I was struggling to release the club, I wasn't really going at it that hard," he said.
"I hit a good tee shot (on the 11th) and then three wood just short and managed to pitch in from about 55 yards.
"Then I was literally getting treatment on the next tee, I was stripped off and getting a back rub.
"I had some painkillers that have kind of helped a little bit but it was just a little bit uncomfortable walking around and not being able to go fully into your shots because you think, 'I'm just protecting it a little bit'."
While the comeback of the day came from Bland, the save of the day belonged to Ian Poulter on his way to a 70 and a four under par total.
The 12-time European Tour winner hit his second shot at the 13th into the trees to the left of the green but managed to find his ball and play out to around eight feet, rolling home the resulting par putt.
And the tournament host thought the late, great Seve Ballesteros, renowned for his inventive play in tough situations, would have been pleased with his effort.
Seve would have been proud. It was one of the best up-and-downs I think I've had ever. It might go down as the best. It really was outrageous - Ian Poulter
He added: "All in all, I held the end of the round together nicely. In hindsight, it would be nice not to make mistakes out on the golf course. I made a couple yesterday and made a couple today. That's why I'm not a little further up that board.
"I'm on my home course where I know it very well. It is time to press Saturday, Sunday. I know what I have to do. There's nothing else I can do apart from press now. I’m five back, but five is very achievable on this course, the way I know the greens."
