Stuart Appleby had a third successive Mercedes Championship title in his sights after yet another battle with the wind in Hawaii.
For the second day running not one of the 28-strong field - all champions from last year's US Tour - could shoot in the sixties. But Appleby's three- under-par 70 gave him a 54-hole total of six under and left him two ahead of US Open champion Michael Campbell and three clear of Jim Furyk.
Sergio Garcia and Vijay Singh are joint fifth on one under, one behind American Lucas Glover, whose day was memorable for a hole-in-one at the 203-yard eighth. It earned him a Mercedes worth more than £45,000.
Appleby is trying to become the first player since Gene Littler in 1957 to win the season-opening event three years in a row.
The 34-year-old Australian was disappointed not to take more of the chances he gave himself in his third round and said: "Overall I'm happy with where I am, but I know I have to play better.
"I would like to get to 10 - that would be a good number. But maybe five is good enough. That's the beauty of this game. I'll really have to knuckle down and use all the resources I have from previous experience here - I can't really afford to make too many mistakes."
New Zealander Campbell commented: "The last three rounds has been all about grinding, grinding, grinding, grinding. Stuey's on a high with confidence. Every department of his game is very, very sound, very sharp. But I think I'm leading in birdie stats this week and if I iron out the mistakes I think I've got a very good chance.
"I'm just going to pace myself tomorrow, see what happens. Like a game of chess. Lead my prawns out first, my bishops and the queen can go out there later on and go in for the attack."
When it was pointed out to him that he surely meant "pawns" Campbell just smiled and replied: "Sorry. Prawns on the barbie, mate."
Even as the reigning US Open champion a 10-event US Tour limit has been imposed on Campbell because he quit the circuit in 2003. But he believes it will be lifted if he wins again and he described that as a "great goal" to have entering the closing 18 holes.
World number two Singh had no fewer than three sixes on his card, one of them a double bogey, but the Fijian climbed back into contention with three birdies in the last five holes.
Garcia, winner in 2002, double-bogeyed the 12th, but had his fourth birdie of the day on the par five last for a level-par 73.
Swede Pettersson, the only other European in the event, is 22nd after a 75, while American Jason Gore is now last after failing to break 80 for the third day running.
