( CNN ) -- Defending champion Martin Kaymer will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the French Open after Alejandro Canizares suffered a nightmare finish to Saturday 's rain-delayed third round . Spanish golfer Canizares , the halfway leader , was three clear going into the final three holes at Le Golf National in Paris , but twice found the water hazards . A bogey at the par-three 16th and another at the par-four 18th saw him finish the day tied for second with England 's Steve Webster on eight-under-par 205 after carding a two-over 73 . Kaymer made two birdies and two bogeys on his front nine after the morning 's play was washed out by rain , and then came home in nine pars for a level 71 . `` You want to play well to get into the lead and I did n't play well , to be honest , '' the German told the European Tour website . `` I hit a lot of bad iron shots , but I kept it together . This is one of the biggest tournaments we have on the European Tour . To win it once is a big once , but to win it twice would be awesome . '' Canizares needs to win the tournament to qualify for this month 's British Open and appear at his first major event . Webster played at the 1995 British Open , when he was top amateur ahead of Tiger Woods . A group of six players were tied for third place on 206 , including world No . 7 Luke Donald ( 67 ) , veteran Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez ( 66 ) and first-round leader Robert-Jan Derksen ( 72 ) . World No . 10 Rory McIlroy was tied for 12th on 208 after a four-birdie 69 , while third-ranked Lee Westwood was in a group two shots back along with No . 8 Ian Poulter as both Englishmen carded 71 . French veteran Jean Van De Velde was unable to reproduce the form of his opening 66 as he followed up his second-round 76 with a 74 to be in a group tied for 62nd along with Italian teen prodigy Matteo Manassero ( 76 ) .
Martin Kaymer in pole position to defend his title after carding level-par 71 on Saturday . German leads French Open by one shot after Alejandro Canizares suffers late lapses . Halfway leader twice hits water hazards for two double-bogeys to be tied for second . England 's Steve Webster is also on 205 after carding 70 in his third round in Paris .