Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen have tightened their grip on what would be a maiden golf World Cup triumph for Denmark.

The rock-solid Kjeldsen and free-swinging Olesen combined for a two-under-par 70 in the alternate-shot third round on Saturday at Kingston Heath.

It lifted them to 14-under 202, four shots ahead of the crack US pairing of Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker with just Sunday’s better-ball round to come.

Fowler and Walker carded a 69 on Saturday to move to outright second at 10 under, one shot clear of China’s Wu Ashun and Li Haotong.

Highly rated Japanese duo Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Ishikara, Frenchmen Victor Dubuisson and Romain Langasque and Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello and Jon Rahm were tied for fourth at seven under.

Kjeldsen and Olesen blew the event wide open on Friday with a spectacular 12-under 60 in the better-ball round.

Saturday was more about consolidation, although the Danes did enough to increase their overnight lead from three shots to four.

The shakiest moment came at the par-4 11th hole, where they were forced to take a penalty drop for an unplayable lie after Olesen carved his drive to the right and into the trees.

Even then, the Danes were able to limit the damage, with the ice-cool Kjeldsen – a four-time winner on the European Tour – one-putting for bogey.

Australians Adam Scott and Marc Leishman were solid when they needed to be spectacular, combining for a two-under 70 to move to four under and a tie for 11th.

Scott and Leishman made a sluggish start on Saturday, bogeying the par-4 4th hole.

But it was to be the only shot they dropped for the day, with birdies coming at the sixth, 10th and 14th holes.

Australia are the defending World Cup champions, with Scott and Jason Day having lifted the trophy three years ago at Royal Melbourne.