Mark Laskey produced a flurry of birdies on the back nine to go into the final round of the PartyPoker.com Players Championship at East Sussex National three shots clear.
Laskey (The Shire) shot 67 in the opening round of the Ivobank PGA Europro Tour event and tees off at 12.30pm chasing his first title, with live scoring all day from the course.
He thrust himself into a commanding position with a second round 68 as quickly got into his stride with early birdies at holes two, six and seven.
Laskey picked up his first bogey of the tournament at the ninth and dropped another shot at the 13th but stamped his authority on the course once more with three straight birdies from the 14th.
Andrew Pestell (Chelmsford Golf Club) eagled the 15th for the second time on his way to a 70 - a bogey at the last costing him sole possession of second spot.
Joining Pestell at six under is James Busby (The Shropshire) who got to grips with the course after a level par opening round, plundering seven birdies in total.
Ben Jones (Cuddington GC) shot 67 to move to five under for the tournament after a level opening round and is joined there by Anthony Tarchetti (Littlestone) and Daniel Gaunt (Selsdon Park) who both shot 68.
Frances McGuirk (Princes), Jamie Harris (Nevill) and Alan Murray (Greystones GC) are at four under (140) with Steven Capper (Caldy GC) and Matthew Richardson (The Buckinghamshire) one stroke behind them.
In all, 57 players made the cut at two over.