Yuto Katsuragawa tied the course record with a flawless 63 to surge into a two-shot lead at the 2026 Genesis Championship.
The Japanese was fighting to keep his playing privileges for the 2027 DP World Tour when beginning the week in 106th place on the Race to Dubai Rankings delivered by DP World.
With only the top 100 guaranteed to retain their card for next season, Katsuragawa knew he needed a good week but even he would have surprised himself with his stunning third round at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.
He started five shots behind overnight leaders Casey Jarvis and Antoine Rozner, with the former bursting three shots clear during his front nine.
However, Katsuragawa enjoyed a birdie blitz on his outward nine before birdieing three of the last five holes to match the eight-under round of Jinam Kang in 2006.
"It's been a long time since I had this good feeling so it was a great round," Katsuragawa said.
"After the Irish Open, I met a new putting coach and he was very helpful to get me in good form like this today.
"I've been outside of the 100 (on the Race to Dubai Rankings delivered by DP World), but I've been aiming up and now I can look up to victory, and go all the way to play my golf."
Jarvis made an early move with a birdie at the second to reach 11 under, with Katsuragawa rolling in four straight birdies from the same hole to sit two behind.
A birdie at the fifth saw Jarvis increase his lead to three, and although Katsuragawa matched him at the eighth, the South African carded another at the next to climb to 13 under.
The leader dropped his first shot at the seventh, but immediately birdied the next to restore his three-shot advantage.
Si Woo Kim then joined Katsuragawa on double figures after his fourth birdie of the day at the 12th.
Katsuragawa got back on the birdie trail at the 14th and 15th to close in on Jarvis, who had just hit his tee-shot at the 12th out of bounds to stall his round.
He salvaged a bogey as he dropped back to 12 under alongside Katsuragawa, only to drop a shot at the next to hand the Japanese the outright lead.
A brilliant approach into the last set up a birdie putt of three feet for Katsuragawa, who drained the effort with confidence to set the clubhouse mark of 13 under par.
Jarvis could only par his way home, despite hitting the cup with his chipped third shot at the par-five last, as he became Katsuragawa's closest rival at 11 under.
Rozner battled back from bogeys at the second and third with birdies at the 15th and 18th to join South Korean pair Sanghun Shin and Kim at ten under.
Spaniard Jorge Campillo, France's Martin Couvra and Open Champion Ryan Fox were one shot further back, while Frenchman Frederic Lacroix, England's Dan Bradbury, Japan's Rikuya Hoshino and American Johannes Veerman were at eight under.
