Daniel Vancsik on course for victory - Madeira Islands Open 2007

A bogey-free third round four-under-par 68 on Saturday took Daniel Vancsik ever nearer to a surprise success in the Madeira Islands Open and his maiden European Tour title.

On 14-under-par 202, the Argentine is four strokes ahead of Denmark's Mads Vibe-Hastrup (68) going into Sunday's final round and five better than experienced Frenchman Christian Cevaer (72).

While Vancsik has an impressive Challenge Tour record, the 30-year-old from Posadas only made 10 cuts out of 25 starts on his full European Tour debut last year and had to re-qualify.

His 2007 season had not looked promising either, with four missed cuts out of seven events, leaving him languishing in only 215th place on the European money-list.

Vancsik's fortunes have dramatically changed for the better this week, though, and he is now poised to become the latest in a long line of Argentine winners on the European Tour and the second in 11 weeks following Ariel Canete's Joburg Open success.

He rode his luck when his ball rebounded off a cart path on the 10th when it could have gone out of bounds and regained his composure well enough to make one of four birdies a hole after his wild drive.

Such a sudden improvement in form has even taken Vancsik by surprise, especially as he has just changed his coach.

"It is surprising to me that this has happened," he told Reuters. "I have taken so many tips from my new coach this week that I am thinking of different things all the time.

"But I am staying very focused. Today my game was not so good but my chipping and putting saved me.

"It is the first time I have had a really good chance to win and I hope I can stay focused as well tomorrow."

Cevaer is bidding to follow compatriot Jean van de Velde's victory last year but lessened his chances by bogeying two of the last three holes.

The 1995 Madeira winner, Spain's Santiago Luna, and Britain's Euan Little share fourth place, six shots behind Vancsik.

American Notah Begay III's chance of success in his European Tour rookie year dissolved with four bogeys in his six holes when shooting 75 to trail 11 strokes behind leader Vancsik.