England’s Tyrrell Hatton took control of the BMW PGA Championship on Saturday as overnight leaders Shane Lowry and Matthew Fitzpatrick both failed to impress on day three at Wentworth Club in Surrey.
Hatton produced a brilliant round three-under-par 69 to sit at 14-under overall heading into the final day, three shots clear of nearest challengers Joachim B. Hansen of Denmark and Frenchman Victor Perez.
Having returned on the home soil after a long spell in the U.S., Hatton is aiming to win the event that he used to attend as a fan when he was five-years-old.
“It would be obviously very special,” four-times European Tour winner Hatton said. “I’ve said earlier in the week it’s been a goal of mine to hopefully win this tournament.
“You can’t win it on Saturday and there are still 18 holes to go. I have to try and not get too far ahead of myself.
“I can take confidence from the fact that I’ve won on Tour before and I’ve just got to go out there and try and control myself, hopefully play well like I have been the past three days and just see what happens.”
Home favourites Tommy Fleetwood and David Horsey signed for rounds of 67 to sit four shots off the lead alongside Lowry and Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed.
British Open champion Lowry made a cautious start before a double-bogey at the ninth hole dampened his title chances.
The Irishman carded two more bogeys on the back nine in a round of 74, while England’s Fitzpatrick finished six shots off the lead after making just one birdie en route a disappointing 76.