With a bogey and a double-bogey also on his card he finished with a 69 to lead with a 201 total of nine under – a considerable feat as he faced the worst of the wind and rain around this tight, tree-lined Hilversumsche Golf Club.

Playing partner Paul Broadhurst similarly shot a 69 – his 12-foot birdie putt on the last shaving the hole – to remain one behind.

“The plan for the day was to give myself a chance tomorrow. It is hard to keep on an even keel when that [eagle] happens out of the blocks but for that to go in was a bonus,” said the 41-year-old, who won his first European Tour title at the Russian Open last August.

“Having won in Moscow will help me because I have been in this situation before – they are only positive things.

“It is a big day tomorrow and I’ll keep doing what I’m doing. I’ll try to stay in the present whatever happens.”

Emerson revealed he had spoken regularly this week to Jamil Quereshi, part-time psychologist and part-time magician who can already boast an assist with two wins on the European Tour this year after successes for Nick Dougherty (in Singapore) and Steve Webster (in Italy).

Quereshi is currently on his way to America to help Dougherty with his preparations for next week’s US Open but the Wimborne golfer said it would not prevent him contacting him before tomorrow.

“I’ll wake him up in the early hours,” he joked.

At the first Emerson’s sand wedge from 117 yards bounced four times before dropping into the cup for an eagle two to take him to 10 under and a two-shot swing over Broadhurst, who had hit his approach to six feet but lipped out with his birdie putt.

Broadhurst dropped a shot at the 125-yard fifth but there was more drama for Emerson at the next as his approach buried itself in the steep bank of a greenside bunker with less than a quarter of the ball visible.

Although he got free relief the next problem he had was dropping his ball on the steep incline. After several attempts he eventually had to move 10 feet to his right and find a clump of thick grass on which to place his ball.

That still gave him an awkward stance and he chipped through the green and could not get up and down and so slipped back to nine under, with Broadhurst also dropping a shot.

Emerson’s slide continued at 421-yard next where he found the heavy rough off the tee, blasted out and then found the greenside bunker from where he surrendered two shots to drop to seven under but he recovered his position at the 12th.

After drilling a six iron to 12 feet he drained the putt and although Broadhurst briefly moved back to within two shots with a two-foot birdie effort at the next he gave it back with a five at the 15th.

The Warwickshire golfer closed the gap again on his playing partner with an eight-foot birdie at the 17th and was inches from tying for the lead at the last.

Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, 421st in the world, shot a four-under 66 to join Broadhurst at eight under with Austrian Markus Brier in third after a 69.

Defending champion David Lynn remains in contention after a level-par round of 70 left him three under.

“It’s not getting any easier now. I am in a reasonable position and I have given myself a chance if I can go low,” said the Stoke golfer.