Joachim B Hansen hits a 63 to lead in Allianz Golf Open Toulouse Metropole

Hansen is currently in a rich vein of form, having finished inside the top 20 in each of his last four appearances – a run which included two fourth places.

As a result, Hansen is sitting pretty in 12th place in the Challenge Tour Rankings but is desperate to climb into the top ten in order to secure more starts on The European Tour next term. And the 22-year-old did his prospects of achieving his aim no harm whatsoever with a superb eight under par round of 63 at Golf de Toulouse-Seilh in south-west France.

He said: “I was hitting it close and putted really well, so that’s always a pretty good combination. I holed almost everything I looked at, which doesn’t happen often so you have to enjoy it when it does. I holed some very good putts on the sixth for par and the ninth for birdie.”

Hansen’s playing partner, Daniel Vancsik, is in a five-strong group of players sharing second place on six under par. The Argentine has risen to 16th place in the rankings on the back of some highly encouraging recent results, and he continued his fine form with a round of 65 which included seven birdies and an eagle three at the 11th hole.

Chris Doak, Steven O’Hara Raymond Russell and Lloyd Saltman were the top-scoring Scots, all on 67, four behind Hansen,