Marcel Siem extended his overnight advantage during the early stages of the Trophée Hassan II as the German edged closer to a Masters Tournament debut.
Three clear after a sensational opening 64 which included two eagles, the 32 year old birdied the tenth, 11th, 15th and 17th on his return to Golf du Palais Royal to reach 12 under par.
Victory in Morocco would give World Number 72 Siem every chance of moving into the top 50 on Sunday – the cut-off point for invites to Augusta National.
Dutchman Joost Luiten was six shots adrift in second after turning in 32, with Spain’s Alvaro Velasco slipping to third on five under after a birdie and a bogey in his first three holes.
Another player making a last-gasp bid for a ticket to Georgia, Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, was amongst those on four under par.
Siem bogeyed the 18th and with Luiten birdieing the third from 12 feet the gap was down to four.
Finn Mikko Ilonen birdied the seventh from eight feet to join Wiesberger in third place on five under.
