Australian golfer Dimitrios Papadatos will take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the New Zealand Open in Queenstown.

Papadatos’ margin at The Hills might have been bigger, but for his only dropped shot of the round coming right at the end.

“I gave myself the wrong yardage on the last hole,” the 22-year-old said after also collecting six birdies.

“I had a look back at my yardage book and instead of adding I subtracted.”

He ended up with a bogey five to sign for five-under-par 67 to be 12-under after 54 holes.

Papadatos leads from Mark Brown (66) and Richard Lee (70), the local duo who were the leading New Zealanders in fourth and fifth place respectively at last year’s NZ Open.

Brown had a roller-coaster ride on day three with a round that contained an eagle, seven birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey.

Lee, who had started the day with a share of the lead, had a mixed outward nine before picking up four shots coming home.

Fourth, a shot further back is Australian Ashley Hall, who made a late charge with a birdie-eagle-birdie finish.

Compatriot Adam Bland had the day’s best score of eight-under 64.

Bland collected a total of 10 birdies, including five in a row from 13 to 17, to be in a share for fifth at nine-under.

He dropped a couple of shots on the outward nine, which slowed his momentum, before he scorched home.

“On the back nine, I just hit some good shots and then holed them,” he said.

“The last couple of days, I haven’t been able to convert the good shots, but today was a little bit different. I just putted really well from 10 to 15 feet.”