Julien Guerrier fired two eagles in three holes to draw level with halfway leader Jorge Campillo on 19 under after a brilliant third-round 63 at the Andalucia Masters.
France’s Guerrier had already made five birdies in his first 10 holes before firing a sensational second to four feet at the par-five 12th and another to nine feet at the long 14th before making both putts.
Spain’s Campillo made four birdies in his 68 as he remained bogey-free for the week, with English pair Dan Brown and Jordan Smith third and fourth, after matching rounds of 67 in Sotogrande.
Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin carded a three-under 69 to move to seven under and a share of 25th position, 12 shots adrift of the leaders.
Guerrier said after his round: “The key is the short game – it’s where I made my score. I hit two great shots on the par fives and a little bit of luck as well; I was not playing exactly there but it finished well.
“It’s not a sprint a tournament it’s a marathon so I just try to enjoy every moment.”
Campillo made birdies at the second, fourth and seventh as he set about preserving his halfway lead before a superb par save at the ninth, where a wayward drive landed among trees and he was only able to bump his approach into the back bunker.
Guerrier completed a hat-trick of gains with a 32-foot putt on the short fourth and added further birdies at the fifth and 10th before his back-nine pyrotechnics saw him claim a share of the lead.
In contrast a tap-in birdie at the 12th was all Campillo had to show for his back-nine efforts despite hitting some excellent approaches as he found every green in regulation on the way in.
Campillo said: “I played quite solid – apart from nine I hit all the other greens so it was stress-free.
“I hit some great shots coming in but I didn’t make the putts. I felt I was hitting great putts so hopefully tomorrow I can make some of the putts.”
Two-time Major winner Jon Rahm has his work cut out on Sunday after a 68 left him seven shots off the lead.
Meanwhile, a triple-bogey on the sixth hole, his 15th, cost Ireland’s Séamus Power dearly as he missed the cut at the weather-affected Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas.
The 37-year-old Waterford golfer made it to six under after resuming his second round at TPC Summerlin after high winds disrupted play on Friday. But a bogey on the 18th, his ninth and a further one on the third hole saw him slip back before a seven on the par-4 sixth ended any hope of progress as he signed for a two-over 73 to end up on one under, two shots outside the cut.
Germany’s Matti Schmid and JT Poston of the United States both carded second-rounds 65s to share the halfway lead on 13 under.
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