Spain's Alejandro Cañizares wasted no time starting to repair the damage of his finish to the Alstom Open de France third round at Le Golf National near Paris.
Cañizares had handed defending champion Martin Kaymer a one shot overnight lead by going in the lake on two of the last three holes, but sank a ten foot birdie putt on the first to join the German on nine under par.
England's Steve Webster was also one behind teeing off again and he had company when compatriot Graeme Storm, winner on the course three years ago, had three birdies in the first six and Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen birdied the long third.
Cañizares, who had double-bogeyed the 16th and 18th last night, got up and down from sand on the long third for a second birdie.
It put him into the outright lead, but only for a few minutes.Although Kaymer bogeyed the third after pushing his drive into trouble and being forced to take a penalty drop Webster had holed from 20 feet at the first and birdied again two holes later.
They were ten under, two ahead of Kaymer, Derksen and Miguel Angel Jiménez.
Webster bogeyed the fourth just as Canizares did the same on the third and as well as allowing Derksen to join them with a 12 footer on the short eighth it meant that nine players were separated by a stroke.
Those on eight under included Rory McIlroy after he birdied the eighth and tenth to be three under for the day and English duo Danny Willett and Kenneth Ferrie, as well as home favourite Gregory Bourdy.
