Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland shot a one-under-par 70 Saturday to share the lead with Richard Sterne of South Africa after the third round of the French Open.

McDowell made two birdies and a lone bogey on the tough Albatross course of Le Golf National to sit at 5-under 208 while Sterne was less consistent, offsetting two bogeys and a double bogey with four birdies for a 71.

Bernd Wiesberger of Austria (68) shared third place with David Howell of England (69) and Richard Green of Australia (70), one stroke back.

Francesco Molinari of Italy had the best round of the day with a 67 to climb into 16th place, four shots back, and give himself an outside chance on Sunday.

Overnight leader Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay had a 78 to slip to 27th, while Thomas Bjorn of Denmark held a two-shot lead after a birdie on the par-3 No.8, where he nearly had a hole-in-one but the ball lipped out, before dropping four shots in the last four holes to fall to eighth place.