Marcus Kinhult turned in 30 to open up a two-shot lead early on day two of the HNA Open de France at Le Golf National.
Conditions were more favourable on day two at the venue that will play host to September's Ryder Cup and the elite field gathered for the third Rolex Series event of the season were taking advantage, with Kinhult moving to six under.
England's Matthew Fitzpatrick was three under after 15 holes to sit at the same mark for the week, while World Number Five Jon Rahm was a further shot back having also played 15 holes.
Overnight leader Bradley Dredge was four under and due out later in the afternoon, with Graeme McDowell and Andy Sullivan also among the later starters at three under.
Canadian Austin Connelly turned in 32 to sit alongside Rahm and later starters Dean Burmester, Robert Karlsson and Thomas Pieters.
Kinhult finished third at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters but has made just three of eight cuts since, although one of those was a tie for 12th at the BMW PGA Championship.
The Swede started his round on Thursday with four straight bogeys but is ten under for his last 23 holes.
He birdied the second, made an eagle on the par five third and then picked up another shot on the fourth to very quickly jump into a share of the lead.
Two pars followed but when the Challenge Tour graduate holed a 20-footer on the seventh, he was the first man this week to get to five under.
A stunning tee-shot into the par three eighth then left him five feet for another birdie and he made no mistake to lead by two.
Fitzpatrick birdied the 11th but surrendered a double on the next before picking up further shots on the 13th, 14th and 17th to turn in 33.
The 23 year old was clearly distracted by something in the crowd as he played his tee-shot on the par three second but that did not stop him putting it to six feet for a birdie to get to three under.
Fitzpatrick's playing partner Rahm had a roller coaster on the back nine, sandwiching birdies on the 11th and 13th with a bogey on the tenth and a double on the 15th to turn in 36.
He went birdie-bogey on the first and second but then played the third perfectly, hitting the green in two and holing a 15-footer for eagle.
Connelly was flying with birdies on the tenth, 11th, 15th and 16th but a dropped shot on the 17th saw him fall to two under.
Spaniard Pedro Oriol and Ireland's Paul Dunne were out on the course at one under.
