All over par as Lorenzo-Vera leads at Valderrama

An eagle at the 17th hole helped Mike Lorenzo-Vera to open up a one-shot lead in the Open de Espana, where every player will begin the final round over par.

For the second day in succession, only two players – Alex Noren (68) and Joost Luiten (70) – were able to break par as Valderrama offered a severe test.

Second-round leader Pablo Larrazabal slipped back into a tie for seventh at four over courtesy of a 78, but Lorenzo-Vera's 71 was enough to leave the Frenchman three shots better off and top of the pile.

And the undoubted highlight of Saturday's play was provided by Lorenzo-Vera at the penultimate hole, as he holed his third shot with a wedge before celebrating enthusiastically on the fairway.

A bogey followed on 18, but he nevertheless retained a slender advantage over Luiten, Martin Kaymer (71) and Andrew Johnston (74).

Ross Fisher and James Morrison sit two off the pace following respective rounds of 72 and 74, while Larrazabal and Pep Angles (74) are a shot further back.

There was disappointment late in the day for Richard Bland, who held the lead at level par before dropping five shots over the last five holes – three of them at the par-four 16th.

Lorenzo-Vera also had a seven on his card – at the long fourth – and three bogeys, but his errors were offset by a trio of birdies and the eagle at 17.

Luiten's 70 lifted contained five birdies and lifted the Dutchman from 14th into a share of second, while the round of the day came from Noren, who bogeyed just one hole and is not out of the running at five over.

The last European Tour event to be won with an over-par total was the co-sanctioned U.S. Open in 2013.