Jimenez leads European Masters despite balls-up

And it would have been four but for a moment of absent-mindedness by the 46-year-old on the 10th fairway at Crans-sur-Sierre.

Jimenez momentarily forgot that placing was allowed only on the sixth hole and by picking up his ball incurred a one-shot penalty.

It turned his third round 67 into a 68 - the same as Molinari - and gave him a 17 under total.

If either of them goes on to take the 271,662 first prize that will make it four wins in a row for members of Colin Montgomerie's side.

The run of success by "Monty's Men" started when German Martin Kaymer lifted his first major at the US PGA Championship three weeks ago.

That was followed by Swede Peter Hanson capturing the Czech Open and then by Molinari grabbing the Johnnie Walker Championship victory he probably needed to earn a wild card for next month's match against the Americans at Celtic Manor.

"It's a pity," said Jimenez, thinking back to the incident at the 10th. I marked it and picked it up like it is preferred lies. Then I thought 'what are you doing?'

"But I'm still feeling good. It's very difficult to follow up a really low score. Anything you do looks like you are doing nothing."

That did not apply to his early golf as the Malaga golfer, making his 22nd successive trip to the Alpine resort, birdied four of the first eight holes.

But after the blunder on the 10th he also bogeyed the 12th and 14th before hitting back with birdies on the par five next and the 402-yard last, where he sank a 20-footer.

Molinari, hoping to make it back-to-back wins before he takes three weeks off to rest and then prepare for his cup debut alongside his brother Francesco, uncharacteristically lost his temper with a photographer on the seventh tee.

"After I hit -1 come on!" yelled the Italian, who nevertheless hit his tee shot on the driveable par four to within six feet of the flag.

He missed the eagle putt, birdied the next two as well to be out in 32 like Jimenez, but his only deviation from par on the way home was a four at the short 13th - his only bogey of the tournament so far.

One shot further back in joint third are his 17-year-old compatriot Matteo Manassero and England's Steve Webster.

A top-five finish might well be enough for Manassero, last year's British amateur champion, to earn a card for next season from the six starts he has so far had as a professional.

But a 69 kept alive his hopes of becoming the European Tour's youngest-ever champion, while Webster moved into the picture with a superb 64 highlighted by an eagle on the 15th.

That was not the low round of the day, though. After making the cut with nothing to spare, Irishman Peter Lawrie - beaten in a play-off in the Czech Republic a fortnight ago - burst from 61st to seventh with a 63.

Dunbar-based David Drysdale is the leading Scot, tied for a share of 19th on 7 under, ten shots behind Jimenez, after adding a second 70 to his opening 66.