Scott Hend turned in 31 to take a one-shot lead midway through the third round of the Omega European Masters.
The Australian has enjoyed an excellent 2016 so far, winning the True Thailand Classic Presented by Chang and then representing his country at the Men's Olympic Golf Competition.
He came into day three at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club a shot behind the overnight leaders but four birdies on the front nine helped him get to 12 under and open up a one-shot advantage over Romain Langasque.
The 21 year old Frenchman is playing just his fifth European Tour event but currently leads the Challenge Tour and he turned in 33 to sit a shot ahead of England's Richard Bland and Swede Alex Noren.
The first is playing as one of the toughest holes on the course this week but Hend was able to pick up a rare birdie and get to nine under to join the leaders before Bland and Langasque then both took advantage of the par three third.
Langasque then produced a brilliant chip-in on the fifth to move a shot clear and Hend played a smart iron off the tee at the next and put an approach to eight feet to join Bland in double figures.
When Langasque then ended up semi-plugged in a bunker over the back of the green on the same hole, he did well to drop a single stroke.
Hend may have reined in his power on the sixth, but he drove the green on the next and got down in two for birdie before producing a 60-foot putt from the fringe on the eighth green to get to 12 under and open up a two-shot lead.
Noren had birdied the fourth and when he made another gain on the ninth, he also got into that group at ten under, with Langasque birdieing the same hole.
Scot David Drysdale set the clubhouse target at eight under after recording an eagle, five birdies and a bogey in a 64, with Andrew Johnston and Richard Green also at that mark around the turn.
Alejandro Cañizares, Richard T Lee, Florian Fritsch and Joachim B Hansen were then all five off the lead.
