However, the former Ryder Cup star birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th to make the cut with a shot to spare, and produced an even better finish this morning to storm into contention for a seventh European Tour victory.

Broadhurst, who won both his matches in the 1991 Ryder Cup and missed out on automatic qualification by just one place last year, birdied the third and fourth to go to the turn in 32 and picked up another shot on the 11th.

A bogey on the 12th halted his charge temporarily but he again tamed the tough closing stretch with birdies on the 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th – the latter from 30ft – to set the clubhouse target on four under par.

It was a highly welcome boost for the 42-year-old in what could be one of his last events of the season.

“My wife has to go into hospital for surgery next week so I’ll be out of action for about 12 weeks with four kids to take care of,” Broadhurst explained.

“I might be able to play the British Masters at The Belfry because it’s local but it’s a good incentive to get some money in the bank before a long break.

“I was on my way home yesterday but birdied three of the last four holes and today I’ve birdied four of the last five. They are some of the toughest holes on the course so it’s a great finish.

“The scoring is so bunched that anyone who shot three or four under was going to go flying up the leaderboard but I didn’t dream of shooting six under par to be fair. I thought anything par or better would be a really good score and to shoot 64 means a few things went my way.”

Broadhurst was just one off the lead when he finished, but overnight joint leader Martin Kaymer quickly doubled that advantage with a birdie on the first.

That took the 22-year-old German to six under par, one ahead of playing partner Sam Walker who had parred the opening hole.