Lee Westwood and Luke Donald are in a group of six golfers one shot behind leader Tom Kite after the third round of the Booz Allen Classic at Congressional Country Club's Blue Course.
Kite has fired three rounds in the 60s on his way to a 54-hole total of 10-under 203.
Donald had a run of three birdies from the fourth and picked up further shots at the ninth and 18th in a second successive 67. His only bogey was at the par-four 13th.
Westwood had a second successive 69 - his third round under 70 - with birdies at the first, third, seventh and 13th.
But he had a bogey six at the ninth, the hole he eagled in spectacular fashion on Friday, and also dropped a shot at the par-three second.
Unheralded golfers were the story for the first two days but the 55-year-old Kite, looking for his first PGA Tour victory since 1993 and 20th overall, vaulted from a tie for 11th to the lead with a five-under-par 66 that included six birdies.
Kite fired three birdies and a bogey on the front nine to go out in 34. He made his charge down the stretch with three birdies in his final four holes, including the par-three 18th.
The 1992 US Open winner, Kite leads an impressive group of golfers at nine-under. Australians Adam Scott, Steve Elkington and Stuart Appleby and South African Ernie Els join the English pair.
A group of nine golfers, including Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson, Matt Gogel, who set a Blue Course record with an eight-under-par 63 on Thursday, and 36-hole leader Robert Allenby are another shot back.
Els, who won the US Open here in 1997, shot a 68, his third round in the 60s, to move up from 11th, while Appleby shot a sizzling 65 to climb 28 spots.
