Thongchai Jaidee and Jeunghun Wang held a share of the lead as the third round of the 100th Open de France moved towards its closing stages at Le Golf National.
The duo had been in a five-way tie for the lead at the start of the day and after seven holes of his third round, Wang had opened up a four-shot lead as he got off to flying start on Saturday afternoon.
Jaidee began his round with five straight pars but as the rest of the field began to fall back, the Thai found his rhythm and three birdies in six holes coupled with a Wang bogey on the 12th had the two locked together at the summit on eight under.
Defending champion Bernd Wiesberger, Francesco Molinari, Brandon Stone and Andy Sullivan were then four shots back, with Martin Kaymer having set the clubhouse target at three under.
Nicolas Colsaerts and Mikko Ilonen both made early gains to keep Wang in check but the 20 year old was in stunning form and he moved ahead as they both fell back.
He birdied the second and then rolled in from six feet on the fourth and holed from the fringe on the fifth.
A 30-foot effort on the seventh had the South Korean four shots clear but Jaidee broke his run of pars with a sensational 55-footer on the sixth to cut the gap back to three.
Another birdie followed on the seventh and Wang's long-game became a little more ragged as he needed up-and-downs to save par on both the tenth and 11th.
Jaidee had no such trouble as he put his tee-shot on the 11th to eight feet and rolled in the putt and when Wang failed to get on the 12th in two and produced a poor chip, Jaidee had reined him in.
Sullivan and Molinari were both one under for their rounds after 13 holes while Wiesberger was level par after 12. Stone was one over for the day having played the 11th.
Alex Noren and Joost Luiten were then still out on course alongside Kaymer at three under.
World Number Four Rory McIlroy was in the group a further shot back after a double, three bogeys and two birdies in his first 11 holes.
