Rasmus Hojgaard recovered from making a quintuple-bogey to cling onto a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Cazoo Open de France.
The Ryder Cup hopeful took a commanding six-shot advantage into the weekend at Le Golf National, only to blow the tournament wide open when he put three balls into the water at the par-three second.
Hojgaard found the green at the fourth time of asking and holed from 14 feet to card a quintuple-bogey eight, before losing further ground when he hit his next tee shot into the water on his way to a bogey at the par-five third.
The 21-year-old bounced back with birdies at the sixth and eighth to reach the turn one ahead, despite carding a front-nine 40, and he added another birdie at the 11th before missing from 10 feet to save par at the next.
Hojgaard extended his lead with a birdie at the par-five 12th and moved three clear by holing from 30 feet at the 17th, only for his advantage to be cut to a single shot after a two-shot swing at the par-four last.
The Dane found the rough off the tee and failed to get up and down from short of the green to save par, seeing him close a three-over 74, as playing partner George Coetzee rolled in an eight-foot birdie putt to move to 11 under.
"It's obviously not the Saturday I wanted but at the same time I'm just happy that I stayed in there, managed to make some birdies and I still have the lead," Hojgaard said. "So I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
"I'll just be patient. I showed out there today that by being patient I managed to make a few birdies and not let it affect me too much. Hopefully I'll get off to a better start but I'll stay patient and trust what I'm doing."
Coetzee carded five birdies and two bogeys in a third-round 68, bolstering his hopes of a sixth DP World Tour title, with Thomas Pieters signing for a bogey-free 66 to jump into a share of third and within two of the lead alongside Paul Barjon.
Jamie Donaldson and Jordan Smith share seventh spot on eight under after third-round 67s, while five birdies in the first seven holes helped Andrew Wilson to a five-under 66 and moved him to tied-ninth with Guido Migliozzi and Victor Perez.
Last week's DS Automobiles Italian Open winner Robert MacIntyre mixed four birdies with as many bogeys to card a level-par 71 and remain at five under, while defending champion Nicolas Colsaerts sits in tied-49th after a one-over 72.
Who will win the Cazoo Open de France? Watch the final round live on Sunday from midday on Sky Sports Golf.