Matthew Giles was yet another player to equal the Beach Course Record this week and take a share of the lead with Jake McLeod into the final round of the Oates Vic Open.

Giles began a charge up the leaderboard in round three at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links with a birdie on the 1st but it was an eagle on the 13^th that really got his game on track.

“I hit 2iron off the 13th tee and 6iron for my second from about 200 yards, you can’t obviously see where the pin is on that hole but we heard a bit of applause,” Giles said.

“We thought that it must’ve gone just past the hole but they kept clapping so we figured it must have gone in!”

The 2013 Vic Open champion had a decent break after the Australian PGA Championship and has come back in solid form, only picking up a club a few weeks before the Victorian PGA Championship at Huntingdale where he finished tied 6th.

“The Australian PGA Championship was my last event last year and I didn’t touch the clubs for about three weeks to a month and only got back in to it just before the Vic PGA last week.

“I’m happy with where my game is and I’m playing a bit smarter. I only hit one driver today and I just think if I can keep the ball in the fairway, off the tee, my iron play has been solid the last couple of weeks and my putter feels quite good as well.”

Giles has the box seat heading in to the final round tomorrow, it’s an unfamiliar position for him having to come from behind when he won the Vic Open in 2013.

“When I won here four years ago I was a couple of shots back so I haven’t really been in this leading position here before. Obviously it’s a nice one to be in before tomorrow.”

Overnight leader Jake McLeod hung tough today remains in the top spot alongside Giles, he shot 4-under 68 including five birdies and just the one bogey.

“It was a good round and nice to finish with a birdie too, I played really solid out there and stayed steady,” McLeod said.

“I was a little bit nervous at the start but it wasn’t flashy it was just steady golf and I’m just happy I played, I didn’t make too many mistakes.”

Jake Higginbottom and Dimitrios Papadatos share third position with Victorian Lucas Herbert rounding out the top-five.

The third round cut at the Oates Vic Open was made at 6-under the card with 34 Professionals and 1 amateur making the weekend rounds.

The fourth round of the Oates Vic Open will tee off on the Beach Course at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links at 7:35am with the final group of Higginbottom, McLeod and Giles in action at 11:30am.