Tom McKibbin will start the final round of the Porsche European Open in a six-way tie for the lead.
The 20-year-old from Down carded a third-round 72 in Hamburg to move up to six under, at the top of the leaderboard alongside John Axelsen, Alexander Bjork, Julien Guerrier, David Law and Jordan Smith.
In a decidedly mixed round, McKibbin started well with a birdie on the first but bogeys either side of another birdie on the fourth prevented him from garnering any momentum.
Another birdie on seven was followed by another dropped shot on the ninth. But after a much quieter back nine, a birdie on the par-five 18th lifted him into a tie for the lead one shot clear of Germany's Marcel Siem.
Challenge Tour graduate McKibbin, who hails from the same Holywood golf club as Rory McIlroy, is looking forward to the final-round battle.
"I'm excited," said McKibbin. "Looking forward to going out there and playing golf.
"I’ll just take it one hole at a time and see where that leaves us at the end of the day.
"(Winning) would mean the world to me. I’ll just try not to think about that, go out and play my own game and see where that leaves me at the end of tomorrow."
Guerrier began the day six shots off the lead but stormed into contention after recovering from a bogey on the sixth with five birdies over the next six holes.
The Frenchman dropped another shot on the 13th but closed his round with gains at the 15th, 16th and 18th to shoot a 67 and put himself in a strong position as he searches for his first DP World Tour title on Sunday.
Swede Bjork produced a birdie-eagle finish, while Dane Axelsen fired four birdies in his final six holes.
