Padraig Harrington’s KLM Open charge faltered slightly with a bogey on the last hole of his third round, but he remains in contention in the Netherlands.
The Irishman dropped a shot on 18 but he got home six under for the day following a round with eight birdies and two bogeys. His ten under at the three-quarter way mark means he goes into Sunday’s final round three shots off leader Chris Wood.
Wood produced an excellent late burst of scoring to take control.
The Englishman came home in 31 to sign for a 65 and edge ahead of countryman Jonathan Thomson, Japan's Hideto Tanihara and China's Wu Ashun.
When you beat @Chris3Wood two years in a row, you can be this confident. #KLMOpen pic.twitter.com/TJmh6SKUii
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) September 15, 2018
The 2016 Ryder Cup star has three wins on the European Tour but a fourth looked a long way off as he bogeyed the second to sit six shots behind early leader Thomson in Spijk.
A lay-up and an excellent pitch into the par-five sixth started the comeback and he played the 13th, 15th and last in similar fashion, adding further birdies on the seventh, 10th and 12th to get his nose in front.
"I'm pleasantly surprised," he told europeantour.com. "My target was 15 under for the tournament so I'm going to look a little bit differently at that now. I'll take another 65 tomorrow if you offer it me now."
Thomson made a blistering start with four birdies in his first six holes but bogeys on the tenth and 13th stalled his momentum before he hit back with a gain on the 15th.
Tanihara was bogey-free as he equalled the lowest round of the week with a 63, while overnight leader Wu needed two birdies in his last five holes to fire a level-par 71.
England's Richard McEvoy was at 11 under after a 64, a shot clear of Irish three-time Major winner Harrington and Scot David Drysdale.
