PARIS (PA) -- Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood, two of Europe's big guns, were unable to stop little-known Pablo Larrazabal from taking a three-stroke lead into Sunday's final round of the Alstom French Open.

Ranked only 481st in the world and a qualifier for the event, Larrazabal produced a superb 4-under-par 67 Saturday after reaching halfway sharing the top spot with England's David Lynn at Le Golf National.

Now the 25-year-old from Barcelona, playing just his 17th European Tour event, is 11 under with Montgomerie and Dane Soren Hansen his closest challengers and then Westwood and Lynn one further back.

"I saw the names Monty and Westwood. I love to shoot lower than those," he said. "I'm not the star of the tournament. I came from the pre-qualifying. There are 156 players and I am maybe the 150th best, but that's not a problem for me. If I play like I did today, it's going to be fun. I hit the ball great."

A first prize of more than $1 million, a two-year European Tour exemption and a place in the coming British Open at Royal Birkdale is there for Larrazabal's taking -- but the hardest part has still to come.

"The hardest part of trying for your first win is to have patience during a round," said Montgomerie, 45 last Monday and suddenly back in the spotlight after a slide outside the world's top 100. "You tend to want to go for things and this course is very demanding on you mentally."

Then he remembered his first European Tour victory back in 1989. "I was four ahead and broke the course record with a 63," he added.

Westwood said of Larrazabal: "He's done well and looks a good player. It's never easy when you have the lead overnight, so well done to him. Now he has another night thinking about it."

Larrazabal, whose brother Alejandro was the 2002 British Amateur champion, birdied four of his first eight holes to take command of the event.

Westwood had piled on the pressure with three in his first four and then another on the short 11th, but bogeys at the next two set back his bid to make instant amends for his U.S. Open near-miss two weeks ago.

Montgomerie then moved into second spot on his own, turning in 33 and adding further birdies on the 10th and long 14th, but he strayed into the rough on the next two and bogeyed both.

After his own outward 32, Larrazabal's first bogey came when he also failed to get up and down from beside the green on the 175-yard 16th. But his reply was stunning. The 17th is a 484-yard par 4, but his second shot stopped just a foot from the flag.

Montgomerie is not in the leading 40 on the Ryder Cup table, but victory could take him into one of the top 10 automatic spots. In that respect, the final round is as big a day for him as it is for the leader.

This time last year, the Scot finished third in this same event, then went and won the European Open in Ireland. He defends that title at the London Club in England next week.

Five weeks ago, European Ryder Cup Captain Nick Faldo backed Montgomerie to find his form again, saying: "I believe Monty will turn it around -- he has a great way of producing the goods when we really need it."

Larrazabal, though, is seeking to extend a run of shock winners of the title.

In 2002 Malcolm Mackenzie won his first European Tour title at the 509th attempt, then it was Phil Golding grabbing his maiden victory on his 201st try.

Frenchman Jean-Francois Remesy won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005 despite not being in the world's top 150 either time. Two years ago John Bickerton was ranked 189th and Graeme Storm was not in the top 200 when he fired a closing 66 from five back last July.

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