Marcus Kinhult will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the HNA Open de France after a dramatic moving day at the third Rolex Series event of the season on the European Tour.
The Swede entered the day with a two-shot advantage and extended that to five at the turn thanks to a stunning run of five birdies in a row from the fifth that got him to ten under.
He played the back nine in level par in a 67 to leave the door ajar for the rest of the field, and it was a high-class chasing pack that emerged as his closest challengers at Le Golf National.
England's Chris Wood recovered from a poor start to sign for a 67 of his own and sit two back, a shot clear of 2017 Masters Tournament winner Sergio Garcia who fired a stunning 64.
Garcia's fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm had a birdie-birdie finish in a 68 to sit at six under, two shots ahead of World Number Two Justin Thomas and another American in Julian Suri.
Garcia and Thomas both have Major titles, Rahm is going in search of a third Rolex Series triumph and Wood won the 2016 BMW PGA Championship but all eyes will be on Kinhult on Sunday - a 21 year old playing just his 31st European Tour event.
Kinhult came through the Qualifying School in 2015 and the Challenge Tour last season but has proven he belongs on the European Tour, finishing third at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and in a tie for 12th at the first Rolex Series event of the season at Wentworth Club.
He began the tournament with four bogeys on Thursday but will now have the chance to become a Rolex Series champion on Sunday.
“It was a bit of a shaky start but then I just hit some good shots and felt better and better throughout the round,” he said. “The momentum kind of kept me going in there so that's good.
“It's going to be nerve-wracking, the first few holes at least. I felt the nerves today for sure, tomorrow is going to be the same I guess. It's a great opportunity. I'm just looking forward to the first tee and to get going again.”
Garcia had gains on the first, third and driveable sixth and when he made a stunning up-and-down on the ninth, he was one shot off the lead.
Kinhult chipped in on the first to get to seven under and bring a fist-pumping celebration but a double-bogey on the next after finding water off the tee brought him back to the pack.
It's a great opportunity. I'm just looking forward to the first tee and to get going again - Marcus Kinhult
He made a wonderful up-and-down from the hay on the fourth but that did not keep him in the lead as Garcia put his tee-shot on the 11th to tap-in range to join him.
Parity would not last for long, however, with Kinhult holing a long putt on the fifth to get back to where he had started the day at six under.
He took the rare decision to lay-up on the sixth but easily made his birdie before putting an approach inside six feet on the next to lead by three.
A stunning tee-shot on the eighth to five feet made it four in a row and when Kinhult laid-up and played the ninth in textbook fashion, he was ten under and five ahead.
One of the players five back was Wood who, after making a double on the fourth and a bogey on the fifth, drove the sixth, holed a 15-footer on the eighth and chipped in for eagle on the ninth to turn in 35.
Garcia got on the par five 14th in two, holed a ten-footer on the next and then chipped in on the 16th to get within two of the lead.
Kinhult three-putted the 13th to see his lead cut to one and Wood was just two back as he hit a tight approach in for a birdie after making a gain on the tenth.
Garcia went in the water off the 18th tee for a closing bogey and Kinhult and Wood edged ahead as they both took advantage of the 14th with two putts from the fringe.
A stunning approach to the 15th from Wood cut the gap to one but the 30 year old pulled his second to the last and dropped a shot.
Rahm found water to surrender a double-bogey on the third but hit back with birdies on the fourth, sixth and ninth to turn in 35.
A bogey came on the 11th before he birdied the 14th, and an incredible par save after finding the nasty stuff off the tee on the next gave him the momentum to put an approach to ten feet at the 17th and hole a monster putt on the last.
Thomas made five birdies and three bogeys in a 69, while Suri signed for the same score after finishing his round with 12 straight pars.
Alex Noren fired a wonderful 65 to get to three under early in the day and sit alongside fellow Swede Alexander Björk and Spaniard Adrian Otaegui.
