A rare moment of misfortune meant Rafa Cabrera-Bello had to be content with a share of the clubhouse lead at the BMW International Open at Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof.
The Spaniard was level with playing partner Danny Willett on 12 under while Emiliano Grillo and countryman Pablo Larrazábal joined them after the latter equalled the best round of the week so far with a 63.
Cabrera-Bello had shared the overnight lead with Willett, but was able to go clear after he went out in 33 after starting on the back nine.
The 30-year-old remained two shots clear until calamity struck on the par five seventh.
Playing his third stroke, from the rough in front of the green, Cabrera-Bello inadvertently hit the ball twice as he attempted to chip clear.
The second connection was made in his follow through, which stunned the ball short of the green.
The Spaniard was left to make bogey and watch on as Willett narrowly missed an eagle putt before drawing level by tapping in his birdie.
Willett himself almost came unstuck two holes later, on their last of the day, when he shanked his approach right and just shy of the 18th green.
The Englishman was lucky to clear the water, which he then expertly carried from his third shot which pitched to within a couple of feet to allow him to scramble par.
Larrazábal avoided such gaffes as he catapulted into contention with a round to equal Paul Waring’s earlier 63.
The Spaniard, who won at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship at the start of the year, went out in 31 after pinning together five birdies from holes 13 until 17.
Four birdies followed on his way home, that last of which arrived on the 215 yard par three eighth where he dropped his tee shot to a couple of feet away.
Grillo carded his second successive 66 to complete the four-way tie at the top with Branden Grace, Miguel Angel Jiménez and German Alex Cejka two strokes adrift.
