Two months after providing the finalists at the World Golf Championships-Accenture World Match Play in Tucson, two Englishmen were setting the pace in The Masters Tournament at Augusta National.
Ian Poulter was the common denominator. Having beaten Paul Casey for his first WGC title, the 34 year old continued his bid for a first Major in magnificent fashion.
On a day made much more difficult by some of the pin placings - 50 year old overnight leader Fred Couples could add only a 75 to his opening 66 and 60 year old Tom Watson fell back too - Poulter shot his second successive 68.
But while his clubhouse target of eight under par was five better than anybody else at that point, he had not shaken off Lee Westwood or Tiger Woods.
Indeed, after a closing bogey, Poulter was not even leading any more.
Westwood, who thoroughly enjoyed taking money off Poulter when they practised together on Tuesday, was nine under after a dazzling front nine of 32 which included only the third eagle of the week on the 575 yard second.
Woods, though, had moved menacingly into a tie for third by holing from just outside 20 feet at the 13th and 15th, the two par fives on the back nine.
The World Number One, whose Thursday 68 was his best opening round at Augusta National, was six under with fellow American Anthony Kim, winner of the Houston Open on Sunday, and Korean K J Choi.
World Number Three Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, was in the group just one further back and was still on the outward half.
Poulter picked up birdie fours at the second and eighth, made ten footers to pick up further strokes at the 12th and 13th and collected his fifth birdie at the short 16th.
Woods parred the three for a 70 and six under aggregate, then said: "I've put myself right there.
"On this course you can make up shots and you can lose shots. It makes for an exciting weekend."
He picked out the 11th as one of the toughest hole locations, but Westwood, having bogeyed the tenth, hit his approach to two feet and returned to nine under and the outright lead.
Poulter, whose outfits over the years have attracted even more attention than his golf, was asked what goes with a Green Jacket.
"Absolutely anything," he replied before revealing that he will be wearing a "hot pink pair of tartans with a white shirt" on Sunday.
It took him 12 attempts just to break par at Augusta, but now he has had three 68s in his last four rounds.
"My game is certainly a lot better and I've learnt the course over the last six years," he said.
"I feel very comfortable and you can't let this course intimidate you. You can't back off from any shot."
Westwood only just made it over Rae's Creek with his second to the long 13th, but capitalised on his good fortune by two-putting for a birdie that doubled his advantage and took him into double figures under par.
Mickelson remained four under with six to play and on the same mark was Watson after he came back into the picture with birdies at the 13th and 15th.
Westwood threw away his two stroke lead in one hole, hitting a poor drive down the 14th and then an even worse chip that did not even make the green.
But the 36 year old World Number Four, third in the last two Majors, responded with a two-putt birdie from 80 feet on the 530 yard 15th.
He was nine under, Poulter eight and Woods, Choi and Barnes still held joint third at six under. Mickelson was one further back after two-putting the 13th for birdie.
