Having persuaded Jon Rahm to enter his event, Rory McIlroy could end the week by handing him the trophy after the Spanish star surged into a share of the lead in the Irish Open.
Rahm, who outscored playing partner and defending champion McIlroy by 13 shots over the first two days, carded a third round of 67 to be 17-under par, a total matched by American Daniel Im (68).
The 542nd-ranked Im, the overnight leader with Benjamin Hebert, scrambled superbly at the end of his round for a 68 with Frenchman Hebert a stroke behind after shooting 69.
Japan's Hideto Tanihara (66) is fourth at 15-under while Julien Quesne and Scott Hend both shot 64s for the lowest round of the day and are fifth and tied sixth, respectively. England's Justin Rose is among the group with Hend at 13-under.
Hend's compatriots Andre Dodt (69) is tied 19th at 10-under with Wade Ormsby (70) and Marcus Fraser (69) a shot further back in a tie for 22nd. Sam Brazel (71) is at five-under.
Rahm took advantage of glorious conditions at Portstewart Golf Club to fire six birdies and a solitary bogey, four of the birdies coming in succession from the 11th hole.
"It could be a very special day tomorrow," said Rahm, who described his adventurous birdie on the par-five 14th as a "Seve birdie."
"This tournament has a good Spanish history and it would be great to join that.
"I've never led going into the final round so I am a little inexperienced in that sense, but I know what I did at Torrey Pines [where he won the Farmers Insurance Open], both good and bad.
"Hopefully I won't need two eagles in the last five holes again to win tomorrow."
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