England's Daniel Brooks battled back from a nightmare start to reclaim the lead in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.
Brooks held a three shot halfway lead at Gullane after impressive rounds of 64 and 65, but started his round with a double bogey after finding knee-high rough off the tee and needing two attempts to hack his ball back on to the fairway.
With France's Raphaël Jacquelin six under for his round after 13 holes Brooks suddenly found himself two off the pace, but responded superbly with birdies on the fifth, eight and ninth, the latter from just four feet after an excellent approach under the blustery wind.
At 12 under par Brooks, who won the Madeira Islands Open in 2014, was one ahead of Jacquelin, who completed a flawless 64 to set the clubhouse target, with Rickie Fowler another shot back.
Fowler, who won the Players Championship in May, carded one bogey, an eagle and three birdies in his 66, but saw another birdie attempt on the 18th catch the edge of the hole and spin out.
Jacquelin, who won a record nine-hole play-off to claim his last European Tour title in the 2013 Open de España, had missed the cut in five straight events until finishing 23rd on home soil in Paris last week.
"It's been hard," the 40 year old said. "The last three months is really difficult, especially for me. Normally I make quite a lot of cuts and play pretty solid off the tee and I hit a lot of greens.
"So it's been tough but it's my 20th season on Tour, so I've been lucky, never lost my card. So I can't really complain, even if the last three months were difficult. It's part of the game.
"The game of golf, it's getting really difficult. The level of the players is getting high. So as soon as you're not 100 per cent, you're not going to play the weekend. That's part of it. That's why we keep working hard and practising like I did, to be in that position I will be in tomorrow."
