Tyrrell Hatton continued his excellent return to form to open up a three-shot lead on day two of the British Masters supported by Sky Sports.
The Englishman - who will defend his Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title next week - had made just three of his last ten cuts but finished tied for third at the Omega European Masters last time out and carried that form on to home turf.
He entered the day in a share of the lead and a second-round 65 left him 12 under at the top of a heavily home-influenced leaderboard, with countrymen Ashley Chesters, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, and Swede Robert Karlsson all nine under.
Tournament host Westwood is the Tour professional at Close House and used his local knowledge to great effect as he stayed bogey-free over the first 36 holes.
After a glorious first day, the weather reverted to type for early autumn in the north of England with grey skies and rain but that did not affect the excellent scoring.
Hatton got off to a flying start with a birdie on the tenth and when he added gains on the 12th and 13th - just as he had on day one - he was the first man this week into double figures.
The chasing pack would not be shaken off, however, with playing partner Poulter initially leading the charge. The 2015 host birdied the 12th and 13th, added a 15-footer on the next, and when he hit a stunning approach to the 15th he was just two off the lead.
Chesters birdied the 13th and 14th and while he bogeyed the 18th, further gains on the first and fourth had him in the group at eight under.
Graeme Storm joined the party with a hat-trick of birdies from the 12th but Hatton was relentless and extended his lead to three with an 18-footer on the 17th before Chesters birdied the fifth.
Westwood turned in 32 with a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th - including lengthy putts on the 14th, and 15th - while Karlsson had four birdies and a bogey in his first eight holes.
A third birdie in a row on the sixth then had Chesters within a shot of the lead.
Storm bogeyed the 18th to drop to seven under and he was replaced in the group at eight under by Karlsson who made a birdie on the 11th.
Westwood was also upwardly mobile and after another birdie on the first, he rolled home a ten-foot right-to-lefter on the fourth to sit just two off the lead alongside Chesters who bogeyed the eighth.
The lead was then back to three as Hatton hit a beautiful approach to the fourth to register a fifth birdie of the day - all on holes he made progress on on day one.
Karlsson had been quietly going about his business but when he had another gain on the 13th to make it five birdies in eight holes, he was just three off the lead.
He was soon joined there by Poulter who hit an excellent chip from the side of the green to take advantage of the par five sixth but the 41 year old gave the shot straight back after sending his tee-shot left and his second shot right on the seventh.
Hatton played the hole in similar fashion and the lead was reduced to two, with Poulter hitting straight back with a brilliant long putt on the eighth.
Hatton then produced a bounceback of his own, also holing from distance to get back to 12 under.
Storm birdied the sixth on his way in to sign for a 67 and finish at eight under.
Grégory Havret and Graeme McDowell were then in the clubhouse at six under.
