Patrick Reed secured a two-shot lead to take into Sunday's final round of the 2026 Qatar Masters.
The in-form American shot 70 on Moving Day at Doha Golf Club to reach 14 under par and boost his chances of a second victory in three weeks.
Playing partner Joakim Lagergren responded with a one-over par 73, leaving Jacob Skov Olesen as Reed's nearest challenger on 12 under. Daniel Hillier and Angel Ayora were 11 under with Lagergren in a group of four players a further shot back.
Reed's birdies at the second and the par-five tenth were backed up by 16 pars in a rock-solid round and he said: “I felt like I hit the ball better today than I did the last two days – well, really compared to yesterday, and shot two shots worse, so it’s an interesting game.
“The golf game feels good, it feels solid, it feels steady and really just got to go out there and keep the foot on the gas tomorrow, get off to hopefully a faster start than today, and see where it goes.”
Reed, won won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic two weeks ago and was only beaten in a play-off at last week's Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, had led by one at halfway but Lagergren drew level with a birdie at the first and both men gained a further shot at the second, before a third birdie at the sixth hole took the Swede in front.
He bogeyed the eighth after finding water, though, and Reed birdied the 10th to restore his one-shot overnight lead.
Reed could even afford a three-putt from just under 100 feet at the last after finding the green in two and he added: “It’s one of those days you’ve got to take advantage of the par-fives, I didn’t really do that very well today.
“A three-putt on the last obviously stings but to go round this place bogey-free, especially with how the wind was, it’s obviously successful.
“Hopefully we can continue to do that tomorrow, continue hitting the ball solid and giving ourselves a lot of birdie looks, and hopefully make a couple more than just two tomorrow.”
Further bogeys for Lagergren at the 11th, 14th and 16th left him four off the pace, meaning Olesen will play with Reed in Sunday's final group.
The Danish left-hander was one over for his front nine but five birdies coming home, including three in the last four holes, put him in contention for his maiden DP World Tour win.
He said: "It was a grind on the front nine, couldn't really get anything going, didn't hit any good shots at all either.
"I hit a good wedge in on ten after a poor drive. It's not really the pin position where you want to be stuck with a wedge out the first cut, but hit a good one in there and rolled one in.
“That got me back to level and I kind of knew it wasn't playing that easy so I knew I wasn't in a terrible spot, just needed to get something going.”
Ayora shot 70 and Hillier 71 to stay well in touch, while Oliver Lindell was ten under after his 68 set the early clubhouse lead. The Finn shared fifth place with Lagergren, Gregorio De Leo and David Micheluzzi.
Calum Hill, runner-up alongside Reed in Bahrain last week, and Antoine Rozner each shot 66 and Sebastian Söderberg 65, the best of the day, to all reach nine under. Alongside them on that total were Dan Bradbury, Kazuma Kobori and Johannes Veerman.
