He is part of a six-way tie for the lead with English trio Paul Casey, Kenneth Ferrie and Simon Khan, fellow Spaniard Santiago Luna and Dane Soren Hansen.

Martin’s 17th birthday was only last Sunday and the 2001 British boys champion is appearing in merely his second tour event. He missed the halfway cut in the first.

Already the Spanish amateur champion, the Malaga teenager had forced his way onto the leaderboard in the second round only to three-putt the final three greens – two of them for bogeys and one for par.

That, many must have thought, would be as good as it got for him this week at least. But he was quickly to prove them wrong.

Resuming on 11 under, four adrift of Casey and Miles Tunnicliff, Martin birdied five of the first nine holes at Costa Adeje to turn in 31, then picked up further shots at the 11th and 13th, both par fives.

He pulled his drive slightly to the 542-yard last, but hooked his second to the back of the green and two-putted from 18 feet for his eighth birdie.

The best-ever performance by an amateur on the tour proper is fourth place - by American Gary Hallberg, Ireland’s Ronan Rafferty, Scot Gordon Sherry, England’s Justin Rose at the 1998 Open and Spaniard Rafael Cabrera at last year’s Spanish Open.

But before the tour’s launch Irishman David Sheehan won the 1961Jeyes tournament at Royal Dublin against a field of professionals.

Martin’s round was only one outside the course record equalled earlier in the day by former Ryder Cup player David Gilford, who had brought his suitcase to the course 24 hours earlier following an opening 72 which was the 14th worst score.

The schoolboy’s 19 under aggregate was also only four more than the tour record established by Ernie Els in Australia in February.

“The first thing I feel is just happiness,” he said. “I didn’t make any mistakes apart from some short putts and unlike yesterday, when my hands were shaking, I was not nervous.

“I think I can win if I play like I am. We will see.”