Seeking his first Japan Golf Tour title in a tournament co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour and Korean PGA Tour, Quayle moved into the outright lead with a birdie at the par-4 11th.

He would maintain that advantage all the way up until the par-5 18th hole where – after finding the front bunker with his third shot – three-putted for a double-bogey to sit one back of Canada’s Richard T. Lee (67) and South Korean Guntaek Koh (66) and in a share of third place with overnight leader Wooyoung Cho (71) and Ok Tae Hoon (67).

The 2021 Queensland PGA champion, Quayle got off to a strong start at Sky72 Golf and Resort with birdies at his opening two holes. He was tied for the lead with Cho after nine holes when he reached the turn in 31.

Having played the 18th hole in 3-over the first three rounds, the 29-year-old knows he needs to make amends to complete the biggest win of his career to date.

“I didn’t put a foot wrong until the last,” Quayle said.

“Me and the last hole haven’t got on too well so far. Hopefully if it comes down to it, it will be a bit more friendly (on Sunday).

“Everything feels really good. I feel like I have played quite solid. I have holed a couple I probably shouldn’t have, and I have missed a couple I feel like I should have made.

“I feel like the score is reflective of how I played. I have a chance on a Sunday, which is nice.”

A runner-up on four previous occasions on the Japan Golf Tour – including earlier this year at the Sega Sammy Cup – Quayle hopes to put those experiences to good use to get over the line on Sunday.

“A couple of those close finishes have been mistakes on my part, and a couple of them have been other people better on the day,” he added.

“But I feel I have learned a lot and how to get the best out of those situations.

“Some of those lessons will come in handy tomorrow.”

Fellow Aussies Zach Murray and Travis Smyth are also well positioned for a prominent finish.

Murray had five birdies in six holes to close out his front nine in a round of 4-under 68 while Smyth had an eagle and five birdies in his 5-under 67, the pair tied for 12th at 10-under and five strokes off the lead.

While Quayle is the hunter in Korea, Minjee Lee is now the hunted at the Kroger Queen City Championship on the LPGA Tour.

Seeking her first win since the US Women’s Open in June last year, Lee began her third round at Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati with three straight birdies and never took a backward step.

The 27-year-old added four more birdies on the back nine in a bogey-free 7-under 65 to take a two-stroke lead at 15-under from England’s Charley Hull (68) and Peiyun Chien (73) of Chinese Taipei.

Minjee’s brother, Min Woo Lee, is in a share of 10th going into the final round of the Horizon Irish Open on the DP World Tour, four back of German Hurly Long.

Kiwi Ryan Fox matched Rory McIlroy, Billy Horschel and Nick Machem for round of the day in Round 3, his bogey-free 66 elevating Fox to a tie for fourth and three shots off Long’s 13-under total through 54 holes.

Photo: Courtesy JGTO Images