Briton David Park faltered near the finish on Saturday but remained on the brink of a historic European Tour achievement.

The 24-year-old Welshman can on Sunday become the first player to win a European Tour event on his debut despite damaging his chances by bogeying the last three holes after building a five-stroke lead.

Even with those dropped shots, Park's four-under-par 68 for a 12-under-par 204 total left him one ahead of another who could also set a European Tour record, Sweden's Eric Carlberg.

"It was very disappointing to finish like that," said Park. "I allowed myself to get distracted a couple of times at the end and lost concentration.

"I'd putted so well up to then because I didn't hit the ball particularly closely like the day before.

"That was pleasing. Obviously I'd have preferred to finish with three pars but the title is there for the taking."

Carlberg is also playing his first European Tour event as a pro, but the Swede, also 24, featured in the 1994 Scandinavian Masters as an amateur, while Park has never played before.

A 66 by Carlberg after he recovered from a nervous spell midway through his first nine left him two clear of another Briton, Simon Wakefield, yet another Challenge Tour regular.

The Englishman's 64 after two halves of 32 would have seen him equal the course record except that the tournament is playing preferred lies because of soft conditions.

But it kept him a stroke clear of the most experienced man on the leaderboard, Spain's two-time winner Miguel Martin, and Venezualan Carlos Larrain, who both shot 70.

Park looked to have a more comfortable chance of a debut victory when he came to the short 16th five strokes ahead of Carlberg.

But as the Swede flourished at the end, picking up four shots in his last six holes, the Briton, whose only other bogey had come at the third, slipped.

He three-putted the 16th, drove into heavy rough and had to take a penalty drop at 17 and then after again erring with the driver, came up short and chipped poorly at 18.

Even so, his remarkable start of three birdies in the first four holes and eight altogether created his golden chance of a unique record, a 95,000 dollars first prize and a 2-1/2-year exemption on the European Tour.

The nearest anyone has come to winning on their debut was 22 years ago when Greg Norman won the Martini International in his second event.

Whatever happens, Park will have made an indelible mark. The former Walker Cup amateur already leads the European Challenge Tour rankings with a win and a second place on that tour to his credit this year.

Second-placed Carlberg also began in style with two early birdies and earned his chance for a maiden victory with six more from the eighth after dropping shots at the fifth and sixth holes.

"I'm glad I could get back into it. I've never finished better than third on the Challenge Tour and it's a dream to get the chance of a full tour card now," the Swede said.