Tyrrell Hatton opened up a two-shot lead at the top of a leaderboard dominated by home favourites early on day two of the British Masters supported by Sky Sports.
The Englishman entered the day at Close House Golf Club in a share of the lead but four birdies on the back nine saw him turn in 31 and get to 11 under, two shots ahead of countryman Ashley Chesters.
Fellow Englishmen Ian Poulter and Graeme Storm were then at eight under, a shot clear of tournament host Lee Westwood and Swede Robert Karlsson.
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 - 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 and carried that form onto home turf.
He 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.
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.
George Coetzee, Andrew Dodt and Rikard Karlberg were at six under on the course, with Chris Hanson, Mikko Ilonen, Mikko Korhonen and Alvaro Quiros among the later starters.
