Andy Sullivan recorded the lowest nine of his European Tour career as he opened up a one shot lead heading into the weekend at the 2020 English Championship.
In baking heat at Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & CC, the home favourite carded a 62 which required just 28 blows on the back nine as he moved to 14 under, a shot clear of countryman Laurie Canter and South Africa's Dean Burmester.
Burmester also came home in 28 as he finished his round of 63 with eight consecutive threes, while playing partner Canter signed for a 65.
Englishmen Richard Bland, Steven Brown and Andrew Johnston, Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Australia's Min Woo Lee, Swede Oscar Lengden, Spaniard Adrian Otaegui and South African Brandon Stone were then three shots off the lead.
Sullivan was a three time winner on the European Tour in 2015, and has shown some good form on the UK Swing, finishing in a share of fourth at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Lee Westwood.
He now has nine rounds in the 60s out of ten since the end of the coronavirus hiatus, and the 2016 Ryder Cup star was delighted to be atop the leaderboard.
"It was very satisfying," he said. "I’m really happy with my day’s work.
"Yesterday and today were both slow on the front nine and I didn’t get into my flow with the swing and wasn’t moving it the way I wanted to.
"Then on the back nine I freed up a little bit and got the putter going. I holed a lot of nice putts out there.
"I got a little bit of luck here and there as well, which when you shoot a low round it tends to go that way."
It was very satisfying. I’m really happy with my day’s work
Canter made a fast start with birdies on the first, second and fourth and while he dropped a shot on the sixth, further gains on the seventh and ninth had him in front at the turn.
Sullivan turned in 34 with birdies on the first, sixth and ninth and a single dropped shot on the eighth but really came to life on the back nine.
A gain on the tenth was followed by a two putt birdie on the par five 12th and he put an approach to four feet on the 13th. A seven footer on the next had him in a share of the lead but Canter responded from six feet on the 12th to edge back in front.
Sullivan was relentless and he holed a long putt from the fringe on the 15th and hit a tee shot to 18 feet at the par three 16th to make it five in a row and get his nose in front.
But Canter made a long putt of his own on the 14th and then put an approach to three feet on the next to once again lead the way.
Sullivan's second into the last was to similar range and he joined the lead with a seventh gain on the back nine, before Canter got in trouble off the tee at the 17th to drop a shot.
Burmester turned in 35 as he sandwiched a bogey on the second with birdies on the first and ninth but he matched Sullivan's score coming in.
The big-hitter eagled the 12th with a long putt and followed it with three birdies from inside 20 feet to shoot up the leaderboard.
He needed to get up and down for par at the 16th but was back on the birdie trail from 15 feet on the next before holing from similar range on the last
Donaldson carded a 64, Brown and Johnston recorded 65s, Bland, Colsaerts, Lengden, Otaegui and Stone signed for rounds of 66, while Lee got round in 67.
