Sergio Garcia enjoyed a sizzling finish to surge six shots clear of the field at Wachovia championship after carding a third round five-under 67 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Garcia, who has held the lead at the Quail Hollow Club since the opening round, made the best possible start to the day with a birdie at the par-four first.
Although he stumbled with a double-bogey at the fourth to slip briefly from top spot, Garcia rallied with birdies on five and seven to reach the turn at one under for the round.
It was on the back nine, however, that the 25-year-old seized control with birdies on five of his first six holes to leave him at 12-under 204.
That gave him a six-shot cushion over Americans D.J. Trahan and Jim Furyk and world number two Vijay Singh heading into today's final round.
Trahan, who has produced just one top-10 PGA Tour finish with a share of ninth place in New Orleans last week, briefly joined Garcia in the lead after birdies at one, five and seven.
But the Tour rookie could not sustain his form over the closing stretch with bogeys at the 11th, 14th and 17th to sign for a one-under 71.
Singh was also unable to keep pace with Garcia, mixing three birdies with a pair of bogeys to also finish with a one-under 71 and join Trahan and Furyk (69) at six-under 210.
South Africa's Nick Price is one shot further adrift after carding a three-under 69.
World number one Tiger Woods continued to shake off the rust as he carded a disappointing one-over 73 to sit on one-under 215 leaving him 11 shots off the lead.
Ireland's Padraig Harrington is well off the pace in a tie for 43rd position after carding a third round 73.
Reuters