Bernd Wiesberger sent records tumbling to open up a two shot lead heading into the final round of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.
The Austrian fired the lowest round of his career with a 61 on day two at The Renaissance Club and he followed that with a 65 to get to 20 under after 54 holes in the third Rolex Series event of the season.
That was the lowest 54 hole score ever at this event and also the lowest of the 2019 Race to Dubai and of Wiesberger's career.
South African Erik van Rooyen carded a 67 to sit at 18 under, two shots ahead of Italian Nino Bertasio and Frenchman Romain Langasque.
Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Italian Lorenzo Gagli, Spaniard Adrian Otaegui and English pair Lee Slattery and Matt Wallace were at 15 under.
Wiesberger missed seven months last year with a wrist injury but claimed a victory in May at the Made in Denmark presented by FREJA and is in pole position for a sixth European Tour win.
"I'm just enjoying being out there and not looking ahead too far," he said. "It's still a lot of golf to be played.
"Being in the position the last few weeks or being there in the round does help but it's always a bit nerve wracking and a bit of a different situation."
Van Rooyen has three runner up finishes - including two this season - since graduating off the European Challenge Tour in 2017 and is aiming for a maiden European Tour victory.
"I've got a lot of experience now," he said. "There's 18 holes to go, a lot of guys that can still play well. We've seen some low scores these three days, 61s, 62s, you name it. Bernd and I are both playing well but there's a lot of guys who can still do it.
"Tomorrow I'll go hit one shot at a time and make as many birdies as I can."
Wiesberger and Van Rooyen both started the day in a three way tie for the lead and while that group expanded to six in the afternoon, Wiesberger burst out of it as he got a nice break off the slope at the par three fifth and holed from four feet.
He got on the green at the par five seventh in two for another birdie and an approach to nine feet at the eighth and tee shot to five feet at the ninth saw him lead by three at the turn.
Van Rooyen was one of those three back as he bounced back from a three putt at the third with fine approaches to the sixth and eighth, and a putt from the fringe at the par five 12th had him alongside clubhouse leader Langasque in second.
The 24-year-old had a birdie-bogey start but added a hat-trick of gains from the seventh and another at the 14th before a long right to lefter on the 16th brought an eagle in a 65.
A tee shot to six feet at the 15th moved Wiesberger three ahead but Van Rooyen pegged him back with a tap-in at the same hole.
Wiesberger took advantage of the par five 16th but three putted the next and a Van Rooyen birdie on the 17th cut the lead to one before the leader put an approach to three feet on the last.
Bertasio was a picture of consistency throughout the day but could not gain momentum as he went bogey free with gains on the first, fourth, seventh and 17th.
Wallace had shared the lead when he made a ninth and last birdie of the day on the 16th in a 64, while Donaldson took one more shot as he made seven birdies and a bogey.
Otaegui was bogey free in a 67 - a score matched by Gagli - and joint overnight leader Slattery recorded a 70.
Andrea Pavan had moved from the cut line into a share of the lead when he signed for a career best 62 at 14 under, with Ryder Cup team-mates Henrik Stenson and Matthew Fitzpatrick later joining him at that mark.
