Lee Westwood and Tyrrell Hatton flew the flag for England at sunny Wentworth as they charged into contention with superb third rounds at the BMW PGA Championship.
Hatton made five birdies in seven holes on the back nine and roared home in 32 to cap a 66 and earn the early clubhouse lead on eight under, while Westwood was delighted to keep mistakes off his card as he moved smoothly to seven under with a flawless 68.
Westwood admitted he had set his sights high at the start of the day and believed a 64 was possible, but he was more than satisfied with his day's work which lifted his hopes of a first victory at the West Course.
"Not too many mistakes, no bogeys and my short game was pretty sharp," was how Westwood summarised his round. "I made a couple of mental errors but other than that, played really solidly all day. Didn't really make a long putt but felt like I rolled it on line a lot of the time."
When asked what his target was on the first tee, Westwood added: "64, or just as low as possible really to try and make up as much ground as possible. You don't know what the fellas are going to do in front.
"I think Wentworth is a difficult course to lead on, and protect the lead. Lots of things can get out of control out there, because the course is getting tougher as the week goes on."
The 43-year-old also admitted he was playing with an ankle injury he sustained during a run on Tuesday, and he said: "I strained a ligament in my left foot. I'm 43 years of age, going to have to give up running! I'm taking painkillers and anti-inflammatories and it's strapped up. Maybe it's stopping me getting on my left side quite so quick, so maybe that's why I'm playing so well.
"For a pro to win the PGA at any stage in their career is special, but at 43 years old, in my 23rd appearance and having been in contention a lot before would be great."
Hatton, meanwhile, continued his excellent recent form having arrived at Wentworth on the back of a top-five finish at the Irish Open last week, carding his first sub-70 round in his third appearance in the tournament.
"I'm very happy with that, I think it's my lowest round here and my first round in the 60s, so I'm very pleased," he said. "I've been walking around this place since I was a five-year-old, I was in awe of the guys inside of the ropes, and for me now, playing my third BMW PGA, it's great. I love this event.
"It was very special. I putted really nicely today and holed a couple of good par putts that kept the momentum going, and I took my chances."
Hatton has finished in the top 15 in four of his last five starts on the European Tour after failing to crack the top 40 in January, and he added: "I did some really good work in Dubai before I went to China. Me and my caddie spent a few days out there and sort of got the wedges going really well. I think that's helped me a lot, especially my confidence."