Lee-Anne Pace and Celine Herbin will resume their head-to-head battle in the final round of the Open de España after the pair once again proved inseparable in the Spanish capital.

The South African and the Frenchwoman carded matching third round scores of four under 68 to move to 12 under and into a two shots clear of Sweden’s Mikaela Parmlid with 18 holes to play at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.

On another scorching day, scoring was again hot, with another Frenchwoman, Joanna Klatten, firing a five-under-par, 67, to move into outright fourth at 9-under-par and right in the mix. Swede Isabella Ramsay (71) is a further two shots back.

Of the Australians, Rebecca Artis made a decisive move into the top 20 after a three-under-par 69 to be at three-under and tied for 15th.

Herbin looked likely to be the outright leader going into the last round but a bogey on the 17th hole saw her drop into a tie for the lead and both players took pars on the final hole.

Herbin’s round was faultless up until that point with five birdies on the card and she signed for her third consecutive round of 68.

The 30-year-old from Avranches, who lives in Santander, Spain, has been playing with a ball marked with the number four and another four-under might be enough to see her claim her maiden LET win.

Herbin commented: “I’m very happy and very warm, because it was a long day, but I’m happy with my game. I hit 16 greens and had five birdies again, so just a little mistake, one bogey: a three putt, but generally I’m very happy with my putting. It’s getting better and better every day.”

Pace, a six-time tournament winner on the LET, had a bogey-free 68, with her four birdies on the front nine. “My consistency is one of my strong points and I don’t make a lot of mistakes,” Pace said. “If I do, it’s not a big mistake and I let the putts fall. I was okay in the beginning but seemed to lose concentration towards the end. I still played well and happy with where I am.”

Queensland’s Bree Arthur (70) and Victorian Stacey Keating (71) are at even-par and tied for 38th. Nikki Campbell didn’t have a great day and signed for a 76 to be at five-over and tied for 61st position. Alison Whitaker (77) is a further shot back and tied for 65th.