Colin Montgomerie moved a step closer to his first win of the year when he tied for the Nordic Open third-round lead today with Soren Hansen of Denmark.
Hansen sent a huge home crowd wild by equalling the course record with a 10-under-par 62 to storm through the field to lead on 17-under.
But Montgomerie joined him with a 64 and the top pair were a stroke better than the overnight leader Gregory Havret (69), and Ian Poulter (65) and David Gilford (67).
Had Montgomerie not three-putted the long 12th from only 20 feet, the 40-year-old Scot would have led on his own.
With his British Open hand injury seemingly healed, the seven-times European number one is in the mood to chalk up his first success since winning the TCL Classic in China last November.
"When I'm in this position I usually do quite well," said Montgomerie, who lay eight strokes off the lead after a modest 70 start on Thursday.
"The first round was a big disappointment but 65-64 without a bogey is good golf. My three-putt on the 12th from 20ft was crazy but I seem to have found a little bit of my putting touch at last."
Montgomerie tried to weigh up whether the pressure would be on his chief rival Hansen in the final round, saying: "Home pressure, huge crowds, it could go either way. He certainly wasn't bothered by the crowd today."
While Hansen excelled, his compatriot and co-tournament favourite Thomas Bjorn shot a mediocre 72. It left him nine strokes off the lead and with little chance of bettering his second-placed finishes in his last two events, the British and Irish Opens.
Ireland's Peter Lawrie still leads the home charge on eight under despite a third round 73 losing him ground on the leaders. The Dubliner made a double bogey at the 14th and bogeyed the last to undo two previous birdies on the card.
Damien McGrane was next on five under after the Wexford professional carded a 71. Graeme McDowell made no ground after he too shot a 73 to drop back to two under and out contention.