Starting his day one behind overnight leader Zach Maxwell, Carter continued to attack the pin with his wedges and short irons, including at the last where he rolled in a final birdie putt to snatch the outright lead at 18-under.

Also searching for his first Tour win, Elvis Smylie will begin the final round one-shot behind Carter at 17-under, after a 65 of his own today highlighted by a hole-out eagle on 16 which catapulted him up the leaderboard after a slowish start.

Joining Carter and Smylie in the final group on Sunday will be 2016 WA Open champion Curtis Luck, who fired a bogey-free 66 on Saturday, putting himself in a great position at 15-under to capture a second Roy Paxton Bowl.

Overnight leader Maxwell was unable to advance his charge significantly in the third round and sits fourth at 14-under, with Victorian Matias Sanchez solo fifth at 12-under after a tidy 69 today.

The Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.

Carter was unstoppable with his wedges, and all week, a trend he would love to continue tomorrow.

“I’m flagging the wedges real tight, which is just making the game a whole lot easier,” he said.

When he is playing well and in contention, Carter says he gets into a real flow-state, able to block out everything around him and just focus on his game.

“I started the day at 12-under and then I looked at the leaderboard and I was like ‘how am I at 17-under?’,” he said

“It happens more often when I’m playing in the last groups.

“Whenever I am playing in these situations I’ll just completely switch off to everything, and the only thing I’m trying to focus on is just to make sure that I’m one shot better than the group.”

After Carter spent most of Saturday extending his lead, a three-shot swing on the 16th courtesy of the Smylie hole-out, which Carter said “Never looked like missing”, meant the pair were tied at the top coming down the final two holes, before Carter separated himself again on 18.

Smylie describing his eagle two on the par-4 in a very matter of fact manor … “It was 98 metres, I flighted a really nice 50-degree, and I knew as soon as it came out it was going to be pretty good.”

Carter had a breakout season on the Tour last year, but despite several top-10 finishes, could not break through for his first win.

Tied sixth at both the WA Open and Webex Players Series Murray River, third place finishes at the Gippsland Super 6 and Queensland PGA Championship, as well as a tied-second at the Heritage Classic, Carter is desperate to finally breakthrough tomorrow and has certainly set himself up well.

Other than Smylie, Carter’s main challenge will come from local hope Luck, who is showing no signs of rust despite not playing much tournament golf at all in 2024.

“I still don’t really know what to say about the form. I guess I’m just riding a bit of luck at the moment,” the West Australian said.

“My wedge play and putting’s been quite good, so if I hit a couple more fairways, keep it inside the tree line, I think we’re in a good place.”

It was eight years ago that Luck triumphed at the WA Open as an amateur and recalls how important it was getting him to where he is today.

“I mean obviously that was an exciting week that really kicked off my professional career, so very thankful that it happened and it’s a very nice memory for me to have,” he said

“I would love to hit some more form I had at that point in time. That’d be really great.”

Slightly further down the leaderboard at 11-under is last week’s winner Jack Buchanan, who had a 65 of his own today in the first group of the day, and may pose an outside threat.

“I’m going to have to,” Buchanan said on improving on his Saturday score. “I reckon I can though, I didn’t make a bogey the last two days, so it’s been good.

“Just got to go out there with the same game plan, try and make as many birdies as I can.”

If Buchanan were not able to make it back-to-back wins tomorrow, he’s getting behind fellow South Australian Carter, although says he will be trying to set the pace ahead.

“If I don’t win, if I wanted anyone to win it would probably be him, but I hope I can chase him down. We’ll see what happens.”

Playing in one of the final groups on Friday, Maxwell stole the lead from overnight leader Jak Carter (68) late on day two. Sitting at 13-under, he is one ahead of Carter, with the pair joined in Saturday’s final threesome with Elvis Smylie.

A shot back of Carter on 11-under, Queenslander Smylie will head out in the last group of a third round for the second straight week after one of the low-rounds of day two, a 7-under 64.

A quartet of players, Matias Sanchez, Josh Armstrong, Connor McDade and Curtis Luck tied-fourth at 10-under, with Luck riding the home support for a 64 of his own today that included a back nine of 29.

Luck’s presence on the leaderboard perhaps an ominous one after the former amateur standout played holes 13-17 in 6-under on Friday afternoon as he returns from injury, with the 2016 champion falling one short of 2015 WA Open champion Daniel Fox’s 8-under 63 round of the day to sit solo eighth at 9-under.

The Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.

Despite the likes of past champions Fox and Luck and leaderboard regulars such as Smylie forming part of the chasing pack, Maxwell feels right at home at Mandurah Country Club thanks to his best friend living around the corner.

“Ever since I was playing the Perth events as an amateur, I would always base myself in Mandurah and practise here, so I feel like I’ve known the boys and somewhat grown up here,” Maxwell said.

Having taken the Mandurah back-nine apart on day one, Maxwell did the majority of his scoring on the front nine today, demonstrating that he can make shots up all over the golf course.

“It was the same formula as yesterday,” he said. “I was beyond patient out there, did nothing on the front nine and thankfully swapped it around and went nuts on the other nine today.

“I’m just grateful that I got the right tools to hold myself in there and get it done.”

When asked about his grouping with Carter, who is also looking for his first win on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Maxwell gave a response likely many on the Tour would when asked the same question.

“I love Jak,” he smiled. “He’s probably going to make this the cruisiest final pairing for a round three, couldn’t ask for a better pairing to go into some TV coverage and just be there having some fun with Jak.”

Maxwell’s suggestion of the relaxed atmosphere alongside Carter showcased by the South Australian’s planned approach for Saturday.

“We’re just going to head out tomorrow and just, I don’t know, just going to head out tomorrow and just keep playing some good golf hopefully, just see what happens,” Carter said.

“I’d absolutely love it to just go nine (under), nine (under),” he added referencing his opening round being repeated twice over the weekend.

Smylie also looking for a continuation after picking up five shots on the four par-5s today courtesy of his new more aggressive approach under coach Ritchie Smith that paid dividends last week and through 36 holes this week.

“I’m taking advantage of the par-5s just like I did last week in Kalgoorlie off the tee,” Smylie said.

“I’m hitting a lot of fairways and obviously therefore I’m hitting a lot of greens. I’m setting myself up for a lot of birdie opportunities and yeah, I mean I really like the course.”

No one knows the course better than local boy Jason Scrivener, who again had a strong following all day at his home club but was unable to build on his blistering opening round, with playing partner Luck now the frontrunner of local hopes in the West.