James Morrison’s late slump means he shares a one-shot lead with Mark Foster heading into the final round of the Alstom Open de France.
Morrison looked set to take sole possession of the lead into Sunday, but he shot a double-bogey and a bogey over his final two holes to slip back to nine-under alongside Foster, with Richie Ramsay behind them on eight-under.
Morrison said afterwards: “It was not as up and down as it looked really. I played pretty well all day.
“The double on the second I thought was a pretty good shot and I was very surprised to see it finish in the water. It’s pretty hard to start that way, especially final group.
“I battled back to get it back and then (it was a) poor finish really, a couple of wrong choices. I could easily have finished par, par and have a three shot lead. That's the way it goes.
“But I'm happy. I'm playing well, I'm putting well and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Morrison made a disappointing start to the third day with a double-bogey at the par-three second, and his birdie at the par-four sixth was soon negated by a bogey at the par-three eighth. The Englishman found some form on the back nine with successive birdies at the par-three 11th and par-four 12th, and he continued to improve his total with further birdies at the par-five 14th and par-three 16th before a miserable closing two holes that saw him drop three shots and sign for a one-over-par 72.
Fellow Englishman Foster was able to capitalise, making five birdies and two bogeys in a two-under-par round of 69, with his key birdie coming late on at the par-three 16th.
Scotland’s Ramsay is alone in third place after shooting seven birdies and four bogeys in a three-under-par 68, and he is two shots of world number four Martin Kaymer and Frenchman Thomas Levet. Kaymer hauled himself into contention on Saturday by making an eagle and three birdies, and one bogey, in a four-under-par 67.
