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SANYA, China -- Chapchai Nirat shot a 4-under 68 Saturday, giving him a five-stroke lead going into the final round of the TCL Classic. The $1.1 million event is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the Asian Tour.

The 23-year-old Thai, who is looking for his first tour victory, was 21 under par after three rounds at the Yalong Bay Golf Club on Hainan Island in southern China.

Two players were five strokes back, including Miles Tunnicliff (65) of England and Japan's Taichi Teshima (66). Rafael Echenique of Argentina was a further shot behind following at 68.

Nirat took bogeys on three of the last six holes, which kept him from an even larger lead going into the final round. He opened with a course-record 61 on Thursday and followed it with a 66.

Tunnicliff is hoping for more of the same as he heads into the final round of the TCL Classic after storming back into contention with his second consecutive 65. The 38-year-old, who missed the cut at the Dubai Desert Classic and recent Singapore Masters while finishing down the order at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in his only other outings this year, opened the tournament with a mediocre 70 while Nirat stormed clear with a course-record 61.

Tunnicliff's second-round 65, which included a stunning eagle at the par-5 13th, looked to have put him firmly in the chasing pack. And with Nirat wobbling after struggling in the closing stages of his third round, Tunnicliff is confident he is peaking at the right time to make a charge to the top of the leaderboard.

"I've only played three tournaments this year and played okay, but not really put any scores on the board but these 65s will help the confidence a little bit," he said. "I played solidly in the first round but no putts dropped, but over the last two days they have started to drop in.

"I played solidly again, I hadn't been playing well but over the last two days I've found a bit of form and I started holing some putts," he added. "I'm in contention, but I'm still a long way behind even after two 65s, but we don't know what's gong to happen in the last round and I've given myself a chance.

"I'm just going to try and keep doing the things I'm doing," he said. "I swing very well and the putter was on form so I hope to come out doing the same in the last round."

Tunnicliff reached the turn in 34 before carding his eagle at the 16th to head home in 31 despite windy conditions at the Yalong Bay Course adding a new element of difficulty.

"I hit a lovely drive on 16, the 3-wood then came up just short of the green and then I hit a little flop shot over a little mound and one bounce and it dropped in the hole," added Tunnicliff, who has two European Tour wins to his name after winning the 2002 Great North Open and the 2004 Diageo Championship at Gleneagles.

"The wind makes a little bit of difference, but I've always played pretty well in the wind so I hope it continues. I'll look to shoot another 65 and give myself a chance," he added. "It's a little frustrating when you play like that and someone is that far ahead, but there is one day left and I'll stick in there and see what happens."

Echenique sits on 15 under, a shot clear of Taiwan's Lu Weh Teh, while the English duo of Oliver Fisher and James Heath join recent Singapore Masters champion Liang Wenchong of China and Australian Brad Kennedy at 13 under.

Heath, playing alongside Tunnicliff, began the day with a storming error-free 32 on the front nine following his second-round 63, but struggled on the way home and carded a level-par 36 after rescuing his round with two late birdies.

"I'm pleased because the round could have got away from me. I lost my focus on the front part of the back nine but I regrouped well and managed to pick up a couple of birdies in the last three holes," he said. "I made some silly errors, I don't know why, but I'm glad they happened as they taught me a lesson and they won't be happening again."

Lee Westwood carded a third-round 68 to join Liverpool's Nick Dougherty a further shot adrift on 12 under.

Ireland's Paul McGinley, who narrowly avoided Friday's cut, carded a level-par 72 to remain at 5 under, while England's Simon Hurd failed to build on his second-round 67 and dropped to 4 under after shooting a 2-over 74.

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