Mikko Ilonen turned two shots clear of Jonas Blixt as the Finn looked to end his six-year title drought at the Nordea Masters.
The 33 year old won both his previous European Tour titles in 2007, the second in this event, and arrived at Bro Hof Slott with plenty of form having been a runner-up in China and Morocco to rise to 15th on The Race to Dubai.
Ilonen
birdied the second after an approach to three feet and third after hitting his second from the sand to six feet.
At 20 under for the week he led Blixt by two, the Swede putting on a good display on home soil with two birdies and an eagle at the long ninth in his first ten holes.
The 2011 winner and another of the home contingent Alex Noren was third on 17 under after turning in 35, with England’s Ross Fisher set to take the clubhouse lead
on
15 under after playing his first 17 holes in an impressive eight under par.
Fisher
parred
the last for a 64, but at the top of the
leaderboard
Blixt found rough from the tee at the short 11th and bogeyed moments before Ilonen knocked in a ten footer for birdie to extend his lead to four.