Fitzpatrick followed up his flawless round 2 with another solid outing at Le Golf National, sinking three birdies in his first six holes to get off to a flying start.
He made just one bogey and got up-and-down brilliantly to save par on the 18th to ensure he had a strong advantage going into the final day.
“I feel like I’m in a position that if I go and shoot a good round tomorrow, then obviously it makes it almost impossible to catch. But long way to go, and just take it hole by hole,” Fitzpatrick said.
Frenchman Tom Vaillant shot 67 to move into second place and will join Fitzpatrick in the final group in front of a home crowd on Sunday.
Vaillant will almost certainly add to his three top 10 finishes on the DP World Tour and will be looking to the home support to perhaps push him to a first-ever win.
“It's amazing. Whatever happens tomorrow, it’s something I will never forget — the final group here in French Open. So I’ll just try to enjoy it, and we’ll see what happens. But the main thing is enjoying tomorrow,” Vaillant said.
Casey Jarvis birdied the final hole of his round to earn a one-shot lead after the second round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship as he seeks his third victory of the season on the DP World Tour.
Michael Stewart and Jack Buchanan share the first-round lead at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after carding seven-under-par 65s.
Matt Fitzpatrick added a fourth title to his outstanding season on Sunday, winning the French Open at Le Golf National in Paris by three shots.
Matt Fitzpatrick carded a brilliant bogey-free 64 during the fog-affected second round at Le Golf National to take a one-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the FedEx Open de France.
