He golfer registered nine birdies, including eight in 11 holes mid-round, on the tight Hilversumsche Golf Club course and with only two bogeys it was more than good enough to overhaul some of his rivals.

A bogey at the fourth dropped him back to level par but that was the start of an amazing stretch as three birdies took him to the turn in 33.

However, that was nothing compared to what was to come as he picked up shots at 10, 12 and 13 which gave him a share of the lead with Swede Henrik Nystrom at six-under.

He was not finished there and a 35-foot putt from the fringe of the 14th green took him clear at the top.

And he was four feet from winning a €68,700 BMW car at the 157-yard 15th when he hit his tee shot stone dead for an eighth birdie of the day.

He gave one shot back at the next though when his curving 18-foot par putt stopped short but returned to eight-under after two-putting from the front of 18th green for birdie and a back nine of 30.

Emerson, who won on a not dissimilar course at the BMW Russian Open in Moscow last year and finished joint ninth at Hilversum in 2003, said he hoped he was running into some form after shooting a round of 63 for the second time in as many weeks.

“It’s a nice habit to get into,” said the Salisbury-born golfer, referring to his 63 in the opening round of the Celtic Manor Wales Open last Thursday.

“I played nicely yesterday and today I just holed a few more putts.”

However, he still only led by one as a resurgent Broadhurst, winner of the Open de Portugal in April, had a run of birdies of his own after losing a ball at the par-four 11th.

The Warwickshire golfer had gone to the turn in 35. A birdie three at the seventh restored him to four-under after dropping a shot at the first, and he picked up another shot at the 10th.

But when he found the trees at the 11th and failed to find his ball he had to return to the tee, from where he found the rough again, and finished with a double-bogey six.

That appeared to spark Broadhurst into life and he birdied four holes in a row to move to seven-under.

“The double-bogey was a kick up the backside,” said Broadhurst. “That was the one disappointing part of the round. The good shots were really good and I hit a lot of fairways – which is good for me. I’m pleased so far.”

Nystrom fell back to two-under after a run of bogeys after the turn, but Italian Alessandro Tadini carded a 64 to move into third on six-under, with Scotland’s Steven O’Hara among those on five-under after a round of 65 today.

Emerson’s position looked pretty safe as the morning sunshine gave way to afternoon showers and a stiffening breeze.

Paisley’s Alastair Forsyth birdied his final four holes for a round of 65 and join the group tying for ninth on three-under.

Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, another of the overnight joint leaders, could not advance his score as a birdie at the seventh was cancelled out by a bogey at the 11th.

The 22-year-old rookie James Heath, mentored by Nick Faldo, birdied his first hole to move to three-under but immediately dropped back with a bogey at the 344-yard par-four second.

Playing partner Guido van der Valk, who had shared the overnight lead at four-under, also gave up a shot at the second.

Home favourite Robert-Jan Derksen birdied the fifth to move to three-under but Emerson’s advantage was looking increasingly solid.