Dustin Johnson in charge at the HSBC Champions

Dustin Johnson has opened up a six-shot lead in the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, and is on the verge of making history.

Johnson shot a third round 68 at Sheshan International to finish 17 under par, with nearest rival Brooks Koepka collapsing to a 73 after starting with three birdies in a row.

Johnson began the day with a one-shot lead, but bogeyed the first, whilst Koepka's three straight birdies moved him two shots in front.

Johnson birdied the fourth and seventh to get back on level terms before a decisive swing on the eighth, where Johnson picked up another shot and US Open champion Koepka lost a ball in the trees for a triple-bogey eight.

Victory for Johnson on Sunday would make him the first player to win three World Golf Championship events in the same year after he won the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and WGC-Mexico Championship on back-to-back starts in March.

“These are big events, some of our biggest events we have on tour and obviously the best players in the world are here,” Johnson said.

“It’s golf tournaments that I obviously always want to put myself in position to win, which I’m in a good position going into tomorrow. But I’m still going to have to go out and play a really solid round if I want to get it done.”

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