Australia's Deyen Lawson has stormed to a share of the lead, firing a seven-under-par third-round 64 at the NZPGA Championship in Palmerston North.
Lawson was in a five-way tie for third at the halfway stage of the tournament, four strokes behind overnight leader Simon Hawkes at Manawatu Golf Club.
But while Hawkes carded a third round one-over 72 to slip down into a share of fifth, Lawson birdied six of his last seven holes to surge to the top of the leaderboard on Saturday along with New Zealand's Ben Campbell.
Campbell shot a four-under 67.
The pair hold a one-stroke lead over Canberra's Matthew Millar, with Queenslander Anthony Quayle a further two shots back in fourth.
New Zealander David Smail backed up his second round seven-under 64 with a third round 68 to join Hawkes in a tie for fifth.
Campbell, who finished runner-up at both the NZPGA Championship and the New Zealand Open last year, carded five birdies and a bogey in an eventful front nine.
