Graeme McDowell completed a second round 63 in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
In recent weeks G-Mac has seen Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Luke Donald win the last three US PGA Tour events and from six off the pace after his opening 72 he moved alongside early clubhouse leader Jason Dufner.
The American added a 69 to his opening 66 to stand nine under par at halfway and then had to wait to see what the chasing pack - Tiger Woods and Justin Rose included - could do later in the day.
McDowell has fond memories of the event, finishing second back in 2005, and his round matched his lowest-ever score in the States.
Birdies at the fourth and fifth began his move through the field from joint 27th overnight and he then holed from 27 feet at the short seventh and 32 feet on the next.
A 98-yard pitch to four feet at the tenth took the 2010 US Open Champion to five under for the day and two holes later, after driving into a bunker, he hit his third shot to five feet to set up his sixth birdie.
The best was still to come, though. A 215 yard approach to seven feet on the 16th brought an eagle and he rounded off an inward 31 with a ten foot birdie putt at the last.
At that point he and Dufner were three clear of Korean Charlie Wi, who had yet to resume, while Sergio Garcia was only four back after a 67 and both defending champion Martin Laird (68) and Ian Poulter (69) five behind.
Woods and Rose, joint fourth after starting with rounds of 69, both parred their first two holes.
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