Drysdale held a two-shot lead at the halfway stage at Castello di Tolcinasco after a superb 64 on Friday gave him a 13-under-par halfway total of 131. He had been overtaken before he even headed to the first tee however, Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts carding a 64 to move to the top of the leaderboard on 14 under.

But Drysdale promptly eagled the opening hole, a 526-yard par five, to retake the lead. After a run of three pars, Drysdale birdied the par three eighth.

That took him back into the lead on 15 under, one clear of Colsaerts and Benoit Teilleria in the clubhouse, and Kent's Benn Barham and Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen out on the course.