Not content with a sensational win in Abu Dhabi last week, Victor Perez has carded a bogey-free third-round 66 to climb, to 11-under, just one shot off the lead at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

“It wasn’t as clean as probably the scorecard says,” he confessed. “I struggled a bit at the start with a good up-and-down on 2, I chipped in on 3, then I made some nice putts. So I was quite happy with that.

“I started hitting some better shots on the back nine, and felt like a really good solid round for a Sunday today which leads into tomorrow’s final round.

Given he won last week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Champioship – the Classic’s sister Rolex Series event in the UAE —  Perez is trying to focus on the job at hand.

“I think the good side of it is that you know you’re playing well, and the guarantee is better outcome of the week the previous week, so obviously that gives you a lot of confidence,” he said.

“Probably the downside is that people might expect you to play well. So you try to have to make the best of both worlds and the best players in the world deal with that every week, so eventually if you want to progress and lead to the top 20, 10, No. 1 in the world. It’s something that you have to learn how to manage rather than expect that it’s not a thing, I believe.