Romain Langasque carded a second consecutive round of 69 at Real Club Valderrama to take a one shot lead into the weekend at the 2021 Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.
The Frenchman made a stunning eagle on the 17th to jump to four under, a shot clear of Ryder Cup star Matt Fitzpatrick, another Englishman in Laurie Canter, Kiwi Ryan Fox and Swede Sebastian Soderberg.
Canter carded the lowest round of the week with a 65, while Fitzpatrick was on track for just the 27th bogey free round in the history of this event before he made a double on the last in a 68.
Fox and Soderberg both carded rounds of 69 to sit a shot ahead of home favourite Alejandro Cañizares, France's Julien Guerrier, Scotland's Scott Jamieson and Englishman Robert Rock.
Langasque won his maiden European Tour title at last season's ISPS HANDA Wales Open but had made just two of his last ten cuts on the 2021 Race to Dubai.
He has now found his form again over one of the toughest tests in golf and gave much of the credit to his game off the tee.
"I played really solid again today, like yesterday," he said. "My long game is very good, my driving is really good.
"I didn’t make many mistakes, that was the key for today. I stayed really patient and had a lot of pleasure. That was the most important thing.
"If you make par on every hole, it’ll be a good round. I’m quite offensive off the tee, then I try and find good places on the green with my second shot and then stay patient, that’s it."
I didn’t make many mistakes, that was the key for today
Soderberg made the early running as he put his tee shot to four feet at the third and then made the most of the par five fourth but gave a shot back on the fifth.
Another excellent tee shot brought a birdie at the par three sixth and when he holed from off the green at the ninth, the 31-year-old was in a share of the lead.
He then bogeyed the 12th and 14th and Langasque moved past him to four under.
The 26-year-old hit a stunning second into ten feet at the first after a poor tee shot but gave the shot back on the ninth to turn in level par.
A run of seven pars would follow but he broke that in spectacular style, holing a long putt from off the green at the 17th for an eagle to take a share of the lead.
He was soon the solo leader but a surging Canter joined him with the help of a front nine of 30.
He put an approach to six feet at the first, birdied the fourth with two putts, holed a long one from off the green at the fifth, put another approach to six feet at the eighth and holed a long putt at the ninth.
An excellent recovery from a wild tee shot at the 11th was followed by a 12 foot birdie at the 14th but he dropped a shot at the 16th.
Soderberg took advantage of the 17th on the way home to also sit at three under alongside Fox.
The 34-year-old eagled from off the green at the 11th but gave both shots back on the next two holes before he birdied the 14th and dropped a shot on the 15th. He made the most of the 17th to get into red figures for the day and then holed a 25 footer on the fifth.
Fitzpatrick opened his birdie account in stunning style as he holed a bunker shot on the seventh and an approach to 14 feet on the ninth saw him turn in 33.
Another brilliant bunker shot on the 11th hit the pin and helped register a birdie before he holed a ten footer on the 13th and made two putts from off the green at the 17th, with a ragged tee shot setting up that closing double and dropping him out of the lead.
"I played great, there’s no other way to describe it," he said. "I was really solid. I barely missed a green and a fairway. I putted pretty solid too. I’m not really disappointed. It’s a tough way to finish, but I feel like I’m playing well - I just have to keep it up.
"I’m happy with where my game is at. I played really well at the Ryder Cup, to no avail, unfortunately. But I was really pleased and almost disappointed to have two weeks off after it. I wanted to play again. So to come here and continue that is a positive."
Overnight leader Guerrier carded a 73, while Cañizares recorded a 69 and Jamieson and Rock both signed for rounds of 68 to sit a shot ahead of Italian Renato Paratore, Finn Tapio Pulkkanen and Australia's Jason Scrivener.
