A timely final hole birdie kept Calum Hill in contention to become the sixth Scottish winner of the Magical Kenya Open in Nairobi.
Hill, 26, posted four-under par 67 to be lying fifth and just three shots off the lead at 13-under par on the Karen Country Club course in the Kenyan capital.
South African Justin Harding snatched an eagle and six birdies in a seven-under 64 to lead by two shots at 16-under from Aussie Scott Hend (68) and the American pair of Kurt Kitayama (66) and Johannes Veerman, who shot a sizzling nine-under par 62 and the trio at 14-under par.
Scotland’s Calum Hill birdies the last to be only three shots from the lead with one round to play in the Magical Kenya Open
Hill capped his round with a hat-trick of birdies from the 10th hole and sandwiched the birdies in between nine opening pars and five pars in succession from the 13th before a much-needed birdie at 18.
The birdie was also the Crook of Devon’s 18th of the week and that’s already three more than over four rounds on his first visit two years ago to the same Kenya course.
He said: “I couldn’t buy a putt on the front nine and managed to get it going at the 10th with three in a row, and then to birdie the 18th was nice as it puts a good note on the end of your round and helps to get you going in a good direction for tomorrow.
“I hit the ball pretty consistently today and didn’t get myself into any spots where I needed up-and-downs in trying to save par.”
A win would be Hill’s maiden Tour victory in only a 29th event while he would join five Scots – Brian Barnes (1981), Ken Brown (1983), Garry Harvey (1985), Craig Maltman (1993) and Mike Miller (1996) – as Kenya Open champs.
If Hill does win it will be in just a third event with legendary bagman Phil ‘Wobbly’ Morbey calling the shots.
He said: “You can’t put enough emphasis on his experience and how important he has been because I just find myself in good positions a lot of the times that just require me to hit a good golf shot at the target and most of the time, they’ve been good.
“I will get a bit of an earful from him like today that I didn’t make a putt on the front nine, so that helped to get me going on the back nine. He’s always kind of pushing me forward and not dwelling on any negatives.
“It would be huge to win tomorrow but I won’t be picky as I will take it anywhere.”
Connor Syme struggled in posting a level par 71 to remain at 10-under par.
Grant Forrest (68) is at six-under par while Richie Ramsay tumbled from a share third, and after a horror 77, to just inside the top-60 at four-under par.
