As Justin Rose crashed in the Open matt Fitzpatrick made an outstanding ending for his third round to recover the lead.
The gruesome leader birdied four of the next five holes as he returned a 68 and make sure that the overnight lead to 13 under par, although fitzpatrick was only over for the day after 12 holes found himself three shots behind Kurt Kitayama.
Kitayamas 65 earned him the first clubhouse lead just ahead of this in-form Bob MacIntyre, that continued to impress in his rookie year because he carded a seven-birdie 64, but celebrity attraction Rose plummeted 48 puts down the leaderboard after a 78 in which he failed to create a single birdie.
MacIntyre recorded the days round, while keeping a bogey off his card to set the target that was early in 11 48, before posting birdies on the back nine along with his second-best of his stellar year, the Scot cruising to the turn in 33.
However, a three-time runner-up this season, the rookie, had his direct taken away while the pairing of Joachim B Hansen and Fitzpatrick were struggling to maintain pace by Kitayama, who was in his attempt.
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Fitzpatrick headed by one overnight and appreciated the ideal start when he birdied the first for the third day running, but his odds of a first win of the year were hit by a bogey at the second and he missed opportunities to reunite underneath the card as he parred the next seven holes.
The 25-year-old, that has at least one European Tour success in each of the four seasons, erred back in the 10th, but he got back on course with his second birdie of the round at the 13th that divides his spirits.
Well-crafted birdies on the par-five 15th and 17th sandwiched the other at the tough 16th, in which he holed from 20 feet to draw level with Kitayama, and then he came close to his fifth birdie in six holes in the final after gouging a brilliant minute from the rough to the heart of the green.
Fitzpatricks solid par closed out a valiant 68 and leaves him like the man to capture heading into the final day, although Hansen now appears too much back to contend after the Dane dropped three shots over the last five holes since he stumbled to a 74 which dropped him into six months under par.
Matt Wallace will look to put early pressure on the leaders on Sunday after he fired a second-straight 67 to leap into 10 under alongside Bernd Wiesberger, who revived his hopes of a third win of the season – and a second Rolex Series title, after he reeled off four consecutive birdies from the 12th and added a second at 17 to coincide with the 67 of Wallace.
Exotic favorite AndrewSteak Johnston birdied two of their previous three to salvage a 70 and remain in the hunt on eight under, with Graeme McDowell one further adrift after he cancel four birdies using as many bogeys at a frustrating 71.
However an out-of-sorts Rose is going to have a much sooner tee than he expected after the entire world No 5 left a succession of errors, carding three bogeys in four holes on the front nine and blotting his card at 14, 15 and 18, slipping from three supporting instantly into 13 strokes adrift of Fitzpatrick after a Saturday to forget.
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