Olesen fires third-round 63 to surge four clear in UAE

Thorbjorn Olesen hopes to maintain his impressive 54-hole lead conversion rate after surging clear at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.

The Dane, a seven-time winner on the DP World Tour, carded a third-round 63 to advance to 22 under par at Al Hamra Golf Club.

That was four shots clear of compatriot Rasmus Hojgaard, with France's Frederic Lacroix two further back in third.

Olesen has come out on top in six of the seven previous occasions when he has been ahead going into the final round.

"I feel pretty comfortable in that position," he said.

"There’s always going to be nerves, but it’s how you deal with it.

"I enjoy being in that position. That’s what you practice for as a little kid, to have the chance to win on a Sunday on the DP World Tour.

"I have both my kids here and my wife. That would make it a lot more fun if I could do it tomorrow.

"It’s nice to have them when you come off after a round and see the kids."

Olesen began the day a shot off the lead but came storming out of the blocks with birdies at the first, third, fifth and sixth.

A missed short putt on the seventh cost the 34-year-old a bogey but he tapped in for another gain at the par-five eighth to turn in 32.

Approaches to seven feet on the 10th and six feet on the 12th yielded further gains before he drained a 20 footer on the next hole and tapped in for a third birdie of the week on the par-five 14th.

Olesen had to visit the drop zone after a wayward second at the last but got up-and-down for a 10th birdie of the day to establish a commanding lead.

The former Ryder Cup player had carded a brilliant 62 on Friday but said after his round: "I thought today I played a lot better (than yesterday).

"I hit a lot more fairways today, and that gave me the chance to be