Rasmus Højgaard holds a one-shot lead over George Coetzee at the Open de France after a terrible start in the third round and ending with a 3-over 74 on Saturday.
The Danish player held a six-shot lead overnight but fell to 12 under at 15 under.
Coetzee — a five-time European Tour winner — was third overnight and the South African’s 3-under 68 put him in contention after 11-under Hodgegard’s early mistakes.
Højgaard made a quintuple-bogey on the par three second hole and a bogey on the next. His 9-under 62 was a long way from Thursday’s first round when he beat the course record at Le Golf National outside Paris.
But he held his own with two birdies on the front nine. Although he made three more birdies on the back nine, he bogeyed twice, including a demoralizing one on the 18th.
Belgian Thomas Peters carded a 5-under 66 to join Bargeon (70) at 10-under to tie for third in Sunday’s final round.
Sitting one shot behind them are German golfer Yannick Paul and Frenchman Antoine Rosner in fifth place in what is tipped to be a wide open day.
The competition was not held in the last two years due to the corona virus.
