The race for a first prize in the E4.3million Dunhill Links Championship hotted up in Scotland today - and most of the big names were involved in it.
Darren Clarke, joint overnight leader with David Howell and Peter Lawrie, played his first four holes at Kingsbarns in three under par, but that was still only good enough to keep him in a share of top spot.
New Zealander Michael Campbell, winner of the Irish Open at Portmarnock in July after a torrid time in America, was also 12 under par with seven holes to play.
Over at Carnoustie, meanwhile, Welsh Ryder Cup hero Phillip Price birdied the first four holes, then picked up two more shots at the seventh and eighth to be joint third with Howell at 11 under.
One further back came a six-strong group that contained world number two Ernie Els - three birdies in the first four holes at Kingsbarns for him - 2001 winner Paul Lawrie, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter.
Westwood, brimming with confidence again after ending two miserable years with victory in Munich last month, played his first eight holes at Kingsbarns in four under and Poulter had four birdies in five holes there.
World number three Vijay Singh threatened to be the story of the day when he opened with four successive birdies and then had another on the long 16th - his seventh - but then came a double bogey six at the 18th and it was sufficient to drop him to joint 12th on nine under.
Seventeen players in all were separated by three strokes, but defending champion Padraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie still lagged well behind.
Harrington was joint 48th at four under and Montgomerie, third last year after a closing 63 at St Andrews, a sorry 132nd in the company of pro-am partner Hugh Grant.
At three over he looked certain to miss the cut to the top 60 at the end of the third round. Clarke could overtake Els at the top of the European Order of Merit tomorrow and victory for Poulter, third in the table, would make him a contender for the number one crown as well going into next week's American Express world championship in Atlanta.
Peter Lawrie, who also shared the overnight lead, has lost ground after playing the first 12 holes in one over at Carnoustie to drop back to eight under.
Paul McGinley, on the other hand, was making ground at the same venue. The Dubliner was four under through 12 to get to five under overall. Des Smyth was two under after 10 holes played at Kingsbarns.
Graeme McDowell and Ronan Rafferty were way down the field on five and six over respectively as they started their back nines.