Shanghai, November 14

Thongchai Jaidee will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the BMW Masters after a sparkling six-under-66 in Shanghai on Saturday overhauled overnight leader Lucas Bjerregaard.

The 46-year-old Thai could have had a bigger advantage but for a disappointing bogey five to give the chasing pack hope. Still, his 66 left him at 15-under 201, one clear of Bjerregaard (70), South Korea’s An Byeong-hun (66) and Spain’s Sergio Garcia (67).

Thongchai has won seven times on the European Tour but victory on Sunday at the $7 million event, the penultimate in the Tour’s Final Series, would easily be his biggest. “Tomorrow is a very big day, if I play well like this and keep performing like this, I have a good chance,” the former paratrooper said.

The three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, who won the European Open in September, picked up five birdies in his first eight holes to move ahead of Denmark’s Bjerregaard, who had started the day with a three-shot lead. The two dovetailed in and out of the lead for most of the day, with Bjerregaard, chasing his first win on Tour, dropping a costly shot on 16.

Garcia had led the field after the first day but fell off the pace in Saturday’s third round before a rousing four birdies in five holes from the 13th put him in position to land a first title of the year.

An carded a bogey-free round to grab a spot in the final group on Sunday with Thongchai and Garcia. Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg shot a 64 to move up to 13-under and fifth place, one ahead of a high calibre group that included Henrik Stenson (65) and American Patrick Reed (64) .