Luke Donald and Henrik Stenson, likely Ryder Cup team-mates next month, displayed the form that they hope will make them the men to end Europe's seven-year wait for a major winner on Sunday.
The pair jointly lead the United States PGA championship in Chicago at halfway with Americans Billy Andrade and Tim Herron on eight under par.
Stenson had his second successive 68 before lunch, then Donald matched that late in the day - just before Tiger Woods birdied the last to be only one behind with Australia's US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and Ryder Cup hopeful Davis Love.
Woods, having given playing partner and great rival Phil Mickelson a three-shot start in the first two holes of the opening round, reached the 36-hole mark three ahead of him.
But Mickelson, who birdied the last to make up for bogeys on the previous two, literally had the last laugh.
As Woods was being interviewed in the rain the world number two held his umbrella over the Open champion's head, but then tilted it so that Woods' face was hidden and the name of Mickelson's sponsors filled the screen.
Donald and Stenson were not carrying European hopes on their own. Sergio Garcia, runner-up to Woods at the same venue in 1999, was on five under despite a triple bogey seven on his card, as was Stenson's fellow Swede Daniel Chopra.
Ian Poulter and Jose Maria Olazabal are just one further back and Lee Westwood three under - after two bogeys in his last three.
However, there was a cull of the British and Irish contingent. Colin Montgomerie, Padraig Harrington, Paul Casey, Stephen Dodd, John Bickerton, Kenneth Ferrie and Paul Broadhurst crashed out along with Greg Owen, Nick Dougherty, Bradley Dredge and Simon Khan.
Woods was grateful for a helping hand at the start of his day's work. His opening drive was heading deep into the trees when, on its first bounce, a man in the crowd stretched out his arm and brought the ball down.
He still could not make the green from the rough, though, and did well to salvage his par.
Donald has based himself in Chicago since his student days and knows Medinah Country Club well. It showed as he birdied three of the first five holes and then kept a bogey off his card until picking up another shot thanks to a pitch to six feet on the 15th.
Stenson resumed on four under par and made a dream start.
First he hit a superb eight-iron recovery from a fairway bunker on the first to six feet, then his seven-iron tee shot to the 191-yard second finished just two feet from the hole.
Fourth in the battle for places in the European team with only two more events to come - Donald is fifth - he was three clear after further birdies at the ninth, 11th and 13th early in the day.
The finish was a bit of a mixed bag - bogeys at the 15th and 18th, but a birdie at the dangerous 17th - but it was all good enough to boost his confidence with the K Club clash only five weeks away now.
Paul McGinley decided on Sunday to withdraw so he could attend the funeral of Darren Clarke's wife Heather.
Seventh reserve Andrade had no expectations of playing, but was called up on Wednesday after Steve Elkington pulled out.
