Bryson DeChambeau was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Richard McEvoy and Matthias Schwab as the leaders got their rounds under way on day three of the Porsche European Open.
The American entered the day at Green Eagle Golf Courses with a one-shot lead over the chasing duo but while he could only play his first three holes in level par, McEvoy and Schwab both picked up early strokes to match him at ten under.
Masters Tournament champion Patrick Reed and Scot David Drsydale were then at nine under, one shot clear of Frenchman Romain Wattel and two ahead of clubhouse leader David Horsey.
All three of the leaders are looking for a first European Tour win, with DeChambeau a two-time winner on the US PGA Tour, Austrian Schwab playing his rookie campaign and England's McEvoy a two-time Challenge Tour and six-time Qualifying School graduate.
Drysdale got off to a flying start, birdieing the first and then holing a bunker shot on the second to make it back-to-back gains and join the lead.
The final duo both also made strong starts, with McEvoy holing a 15-footer to make it a three-way tie before DeChambeau broke out of that group with a 12-foot putt of his own.
Reed had needed a nice chip to help him save par on the first but the second provided no such trouble, with a long right-to-lefter getting him within two.
DeChambeau sent his tee-shot on the second a long way left and needed to take a drop from a bush, doing well to get up and down and only drop a single shot.
Ahead on the third Schwab almost holed his second shot for eagle, leaving the shortest of tap-ins to make it a four-way tie at the top.
Drysdale then dropped a shot on the fourth after just missing the green and failing to get up and down, while Wattel started with four pars.
Englishman Horsey was the clubhouse leader after an impressive 67 that saw him turn in 30 with gains on the third, fifth, seventh and eighth. Another birdie came on the 12th but he gave the shot back on the 15th before taking advantage of the par five last.
Chilean Felipe Aguilar and Welshman Bradley Dredge were also at seven under after nine and five holes respectively.
