Paul Dunne out of contention Gold Coast

Dunne slips further down the leaderboard at Australian PGA

Stuart Manley of Wales lines up a putt on the sixth hole during day three of the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Pines Resort. Photo: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Three players share the lead going into the final day of the Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast.

American Harold Varner III and South African pair Dylan Frittelli and Zander Lombard hold a two-shot lead over the rest of the field on three under par.

The latter pair signed for one-under rounds of 76, while Varner posted a brilliant six-under 66 to put himself firmly in contention.

He put up three birdies on the front nine and three on the back, two of them coming on par-three holes.

READ SOME MORE

The 25-year-old is not settling for his third-round heroics, though.

“I need to play well tomorrow,” he said. “I have another opportunity. I was playing pretty well the first two days, just a few mistakes and didn’t hole many putts, but I am just looking forward to the opportunity tomorrow.

“Tomorrow I’m going to get better.”

Nathan Holman is two shots back after a two-under 70, while European Ryder Cup hopeful David Lingmerth is level par alongside Matthew Millar.

England's Mark Foster, who sat second going into the third day, dropped down the leaderboard after a horror 77.

Foster put up three bogeys on the front nine and then three more on the back, while his round would have been worse were it not for a birdie on the par-four 17th.

Foster was not alone in having a day to forget, with Ireland's Paul Dunne recording a second straight 75 to slip to six over for the tournament.

England's Tom Lewis is down to four over having started the day one under, while Peter Ulhein went seven over for the day to plummet down to five over.