Less than a month after fearing for his European Tour future, Pablo Martin charged into a four-stroke halfway lead at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa. The Spaniard, whose game nose-dived after he became the circuit’s first amateur winner two years ago, followed eight birdies with a closing eagle for a dazzling 63.

The 23-year-old is on 13-under-par, but title favourite Ernie Els and in-form Italian Edoardo Molinari look set to test him over the weekend.

They are joint second after Els also had eight birdies in a 67 and Molinari kept alive his hopes for a remarkable fifth win in his last seven events with a 69.

Martin missed the halfway cut in his first seven tournaments this year and it was not until the last day of his season that he avoided a trip to last week’s qualifying school.

He has still had only one top-10 finish as a professional, but his 63 matched the lowest round of his career after he played the last eight holes in six under.

Els needs to repeat his 2005 victory at Leopard Creek to extend a remarkable record of at least one win every year since 1990.

He would have been only one behind but for three bogeys and said on the Sunshine Tour website: “They were very soft bogeys, two three-putts and a pretty basic up and down that I didn’t do.

“But I feel like I’m playing well enough to shoot some really good numbers.”

The Irish challenge is led by Damien McGrane, who moved to seven under after a 70, and is one ahead of Gareth Maybin and Shane Lowry after a 70 and 71 respectively.

A 77 left Gary Murphy struggling on five over after yesterday's level par 72.

Molinari’s best win came two weeks ago when he teamed up with his brother Francesco to give Italy their first World Cup success.

They are now 40th and 59th in the world, with Edoardo looking to climb into the top 50 in the next two weeks so that he too will play in The Masters at Augusta in April.

Not that it would be his debut. He was there three years ago as the US Amateur champion, but shot 80-77 and missed the cut by nine shots.

He turned professional later the same season but, after struggling to establish himself on the European Tour, his recent form has been a revelation.

He won three times in topping the second tier Challenge circuit and then beat last year’s European number one Robert Karlsson in a play-off for the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan last month.

First round leader Ulrich Van den Berg followed up his opening 64 with a 72 and is now joint fourth with fellow South African Charl Schwartzel and Swede Pelle Edberg.