The Italian entered the week at 117th on the Race to Dubai Rankings and is also outside the top ten on the Access List, but he’s on course for the big finish he needs after shooting two consecutive rounds of 65 at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course to get to the top of the leader board at 12 under par.

Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark and Scotland’s Marc Warren - two men also on the outside looking in at the top 100 places in the Rankings - are a shot behind, one clear of Dutchman Joost Luiten and Jason Scrivener of Australia.

Bjerregaard set the target at 11 under with a 65 in the morning and three-time European Tour winner Warren went one better in the afternoon to join him at the summit before Bertasio, the last man to tee off today, birdied two of his last four holes to take the lead.

Those gains at the sixth and seventh added to earlier birdies on the 12th, 14th, 16th and 17th in a bogey-free round for the 2015 Qualifying School graduate.

England’s Eddie Pepperell, who looks to have banished memories of losing his card at this event last year, is at nine under par alongside South African pair Dean Burmester and George Coetzee, 2012 winner Shane Lowry of Ireland, and fellow Englishman Graeme Storm.

Defending champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland joins Belgium’s Thomas Detry and Spaniard Nacho Elvira at eight under par.