Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter took command of the 2.5-million-dollar UBS Hong Kong Open after the third round on Saturday, shooting a six-under-par 64 to lead by two shots from Graeme McDowell. Poulter's bogey-free round was the joint second-best score of the day as the flamboyant Englishman built on a one-stroke lead going into the weekend. US Open champion McDowell sits on his own in second place on 17-under after his round of 63, while England's Simon Dyson is in third, one shot further back. Poulter said he was relishing the prospect of Sunday's contest with Northern Ireland's McDowell. 'It's going to be good fun. We had lunch earlier in the week actually -- Tuesday, it was -- and we were having a little bit of banter in the pub and I told Graeme that I was going to win this week,' he said. McDowell looks set to significantly close the gap on his rival Martin Kaymer at the top of the European Order of Merit, with the German skipping Hong Kong ahead of the season-ending 7.5-million-dollar Dubai World Championship. After embarking on a birdie blitz around the Fanling course on Friday in a career-best 60, Poulter found chances a little harder to come by as he finished 19-under overall. He picked up shots on the second and 13th, as well as an eagle three on the par five third. But it was his birdie-birdie finish, with putts of 12 feet on the penultimate hole and 18 feet at the last, that put the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play winner two clear of McDowell. Poulter still has plenty of work to do to secure a 10th European Tour title on Sunday. McDowell had an eagle on the 367-yard par four 10th before collecting three successive birdies from the 13th. 'I fully expect to have to shoot 65 to have a chance to win tomorrow and I'm not going to do anything differently. I'll just keep playing the way I'm playing,' McDowell said. McDowell said he was playing better in Hong Kong than he had in months. 'I'm not under any extra pressure. Next week is such a big purse that if Martin Kaymer goes and wins next week it's all over anyway so I may as well go out and relax and play my golf tomorrow. 'I'm really feeling in control of my emotions. I'm not thinking about the Race to Dubai when I'm out there -- I'm thinking about the UBS Hong Kong Open.' Dyson, from England, produced a tidy round of 65 to sit third on 16 under, one ahead of Ulsterman Rory McIlroy and Anthony Kang of the USA. 'I shot the same score as yesterday but definitely a nicer way to finish the round,' McIlroy said. 'I'm a couple behind but feel as if I'm playing well and made some key up-and- downs on the back nine to keep myself in there.' Noh Seung-yul regained his putting touch after a third round three-under-par 67 and believes he can put the Asian Tour Order of Merit fight out of reach for closest rival Marcus Fraser. The Korean teen star, the leader of the Asian money list, shot five birdies over his closing seven holes to move to the middle of the leaderboard. 'It was a good finish yesterday and today. I birdied the first hole and then on the second hole, I made a five-foot par putt, which was a good start,' said Noh, who has a three-day total of five-under-par 205. Fraser finished the day tied 11th after carding a three-under 67 for a 12-under- par total. He shot a 64 on Friday to make a significant move up the leaderboard to keep his Merit hopes alive. 