Eddie Pepperell carded nine birdies to move into a three-way tie at the top of the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge leaderboard after round three at Golf PGA France du Vaudreuil.
The Englishman signed for a six under par round of 66 to reach 13 under par for the week and was joined at the top by countryman David Horsey and Swede Albin Bergstrom, who both recorded seven under par 65s on a low-scoring day in Normandy.
Pepperell mixed three birdies with a double bogey on the front nine, before firing five birdies in a six-hole stretch from the tenth to climb into contention.
The 34-year-old dropped a shot on the 17th but bounced back with a closing birdie on 18 to boost his chances of securing a first professional win since he triumphed in the Sky Sports British Masters in 2018.
Pepperell returned to the tee last week after taking a six-week break from the game and has been pleased to see signs of an upturn in form over the first 54 holes.
“So far this week, I’ve played the golf I used to play,” he said. “I’ve hit a lot of three woods, and I’ve been hitting my irons well again which is the formula I’ve been looking for. I’ll try my hardest to keep it for as long as possible.
“I hit some really good mid-irons which gives me the most satisfaction, because that’s the key to my game. I played the par fives pretty solidly and that’s where you get a lot of the birdies from. Nine birdies is good stuff.
“It’s easier to stay calmer when you feel like you know where your next good shot is coming from.
“Looking back at James (Morrison) winning last week, he said after the third round that he felt happy to be playing good golf again irrespective of what happened on the Sunday. I feel somewhat similar.
“I feel refreshed for sure. I feel much calmer and my energy levels have been a lot better which is a good sign. I’m definitely in a better place physically and psychologically too.”
Horsey mixed eight birdies with a solitary bogey as he too made a big move on day three. An opening birdie was cancelled out by a bogey on the second, but four birdies in a row from the fifth saw him make the turn four under par.
The 40-year-old birdied the 11th, 15th and 18th coming in, and after recording a six under par 66 on day two, was delighted to go low again to give himself a chance going into the final day.
“A win would kick-start the season,” he said. “It gives me a chance tomorrow now.
“I’ve been putting rounds together, just not tournaments, so hopefully I can play well tomorrow and we’ll see where we finish up.
“I played similar to yesterday really - just very solid - I holed a few putts from range and hit a few shots close as well. There were a couple of good par saves too.
“I’ve been playing well, shooting eight under but not following it up the next day and you can’t do that as this level. If you want to get your DP World Tour status, and even compete on there, you’ve got to be playing consistent golf.”
Bergstrom recorded seven birdies without a bogey to move his way up the leaderboard and into a position to challenge for a maiden HotelPlanner Tour title.
The 26-year-old, who graduated from the Nordic Golf League last season, says a win tomorrow would change the course of his season as he looks to secure additional starts on the 2025 Road to Mallorca.
“It’s the first time I’ve been in this position, so it’s going to be a little different and not something I’m used to, but I’m very excited for tomorrow,” he said. “Hopefully I can keep going like I’ve done the last three days.
“It would mean everything to win. It would mean that I could set a schedule for the rest of the season and also for the next year. Hopefully we can get it done.
“Today I was just going out with the same mentality as the first two days, trying to make as many birdies as possible and not make any mistakes. When I finished on 18, I was seven under, so I was very happy.”
Overnight leader, Robin Sciot-Siegrist from France, is one shot off the lead in fourth place, with four players one further back in fifth on 11 under par, including Spaniard Rocco Repetto Taylor, Englishman Steven Brown, France’s Clement Charmasson and Scotsman Daniel Young.
American Nick Carlson and Spaniard Joseba Torres share ninth on ten under par.
The final round of the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge gets under way tomorrow at 7:30am with Pepperell, Horsey and Bergstrom teeing off in the final group at 11:30am.
