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Branden Grace shot a three-under 69 at Carnoustie to hold a four-shot advantage ahead of the final round of the Dunhill Links Championship.
The South African, chasing his fourth Tour win of the season, leads from Norway's Thorbjorn Olesen.
Swedish pair Alexander Noren and Fredrik Andersson Hed are a shot further back on 15 under.
Each player has played at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews, the latter the venue for Sunday's final round.
Amazing Grace
Branden Grace earned his place on the European Tour after coming through qualifying school at the fifth time of asking last December. Since then he was won four tournaments and climbed in to the world's top 50 from outside the top 300.
Grace, 24, began the week with a Tour record-equalling 60 at Kingsbarns and then added a 67 at St Andrews.
But it was his round at Carnoustie, the toughest of the three courses, that came with praise from compatriot Ernie Els.
"He's good enough to win an Open - he's that good," said Els, the current holder of the Claret Jug and a four-time major winner.
"His game is so suited for links golf - he hits those low bullet drives and he can really putt.
"He's always been a quality player and he's a world contender now."
Grace's lead could have been slender following a double bogey at the 15th, but he picked up a shot on the last as Olesen double-bogeyed the 17th at Kingsbarns.
"I didn't play particularly well. There were loose shots here and there, but this course mentally does it to you.
"I kept fighting, got it around and finishing with a birdie is a bonus."
Stephen Gallacher is the leading Briton on 14 under after carding a seven-under 65 at Kingsbarns.
The Scot, whose only other Tour victory came in this event eight years ago, holed his approach from 200 yards to eagle the 17th before birdieing the last.
Martin Kaymer and Peter Hanson made the cut on six under and five under respectively, but Paul Lawrie, the third member of Europe's Ryder Cup-winning team to be playing in Scotland, missed out.
Dustin Johnson, who won all three of his matches for the United States in their defeat at Medinah, shot a 67 at St Andrews to earn himself a return on Sunday.
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