Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello led the Portugal Masters after another bout of low-scoring by the third-round field at the Victoria club.
An eight under par 64 laced with two eagles and five birdies took the 2009 Austrian Open winner to 18-under-par 198, a stroke better than Swede Christian Nilsson, who 66 and Chile's Felipe Aguilar, who hit a 67.
Thomas Bjorn and 2010 Ryder Cup Swede Peter Hanson are a further stroke back.
The Wellington golfer Mark Brown missed the cut.
