He even outscored playing partner Tiger Woods in the third round of January’s Dubai Desert Classic, though the two had contrasting fortunes on the final day as Woods went on to win the event while McGrane dropped down the leaderboard to finish tied for 44th.

A victory in six seasons on the Tour has so far eluded the 36-year-old but he put himself in the ideal position to rectify that today with a four-under-par 68 at the Beijing CBD International Golf Club.

“I have been close for a number of years now and I am looking for my first win,” said McGrane.

“I have to start somewhere and you start with one, the sooner it comes the better.”

McGrane’s putting was impressive throughout and he picked up his first birdie of the round on the par-three third when he hit a five-iron to the green before chipping in.

He then added two more at the fourth and fifth before following that up with two successive bogeys.

He hit two more birdies and a bogey after the turn and then finished the round strongly with birdie putts on the 17th and 18th.

“It is nice to go out as leader and a little cushion is good,” added McGrane.

“However, it is a tough course and I must play my own game and focus on what I am doing.

“It will be a good day tomorrow and I expect to continue the good golf I am playing.”

Oliver Wilson and overnight leader Michael Lorenzo-Vera trail McGrane by three strokes after carding a 70 and 72 respectively.

Mansfield-born Wilson made the ideal start with a birdie on the par-four first and then picked up another shot on the third.

He bogeyed the par-four fourth but recovered with a birdie at the following hole and the 27-year-old then shot two birdies against two bogeys coming home to go eight under overall.

“I was just a little unfortunate that I didn’t take advantage of a few of the shots I missed,” said Wilson.

“There were three short ones today which I should not have missed but I recovered well and it is good to know that I am still not too far away.”

Tour rookie Lorenzo-Vera was unable to take the clubhouse lead for the third successive day after his worst round of the week.

The Frenchman bogeyed the par-four second and though he birdied on the 12th and 13th he again carded another bogey on the par-four 14th.

Australian Scott Strange chalked up six birdies in an otherwise faultless round to card the best score of the day with a six-under-par 66 and was six under overall, while defending champion Markus Brier was four under overall after carding a level par 72.

David Howell finished one under par after carding double bogeys on the 17th and 18th and was even par overall.