Lee Westwood assumed his customary position at the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the Volvo Scandinavian Masters in Malmo.
Westwood carded a second successive 67 to finish on 10 under par at Barseback, one stroke clear of England's Ian Poulter and Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie.
Ireland’s Darren Clarke was a shot further back on eight under alongside a trio of Swedish players, Open runner-up Niclas Fasth, Peter Hedblom and DennisEdlund.
Westwood's opening 67 had hinted that the 28-year-old from Worksop might finally have rediscovered the form that brought him seven winsworldwide last year and the title of European number one, ending Montgomerie's seven year reign.
And there was little doubt the defending champion was back to his best after today's effort that he rated better than Thursday's matching scorein the tougher conditions.
A bogey at the third took him out in one-over-par 36 but he stormed back in six-under-par 31, finishing with four birdies in a row.
"It's great to be back on top of the leaderboard, that's where you want to be," said Westwood, who had missed the cut in four of his last sixevents and failed to defend three of his five European titles already this season.
"Coming down the stretch I felt like I was back and had not lost the habit of being in contention and knowing how to handle the pressure.
"It was nice to play better as the pressure was building up at the end. I've always said that's why I play competitive golf - to be in the cauldron.
"I felt last week I was one good round away from being back to my best and on the back nine I think I was.
"After a 65 in the pro-am last week I thought I was there but my attitude let me down."
Westwood admitted at the start of the week that his focus and attitude has suffered after taking a long break over the winter around the birth ofhis first child, when he sat back and enjoyed his success for the first time.
"I needed time to enjoy the things I had accomplished," he added. "The season is so long these days that I've never had time to enjoy the thingsaway from the course that you have accomplished on the course.
"But I'm very pleased to be leading the tournament and my confidence is building all the time. There are still a lot of tournaments before the endof the season, who knows what I can accomplish."
Montgomerie was satisfied with a second round 69 despite a bogey on the par five 12th for the second day running while Poulter carded the roundof the day with a 65 that included two bogeys, the second coming when his par putt on the 18th horseshoed round the hole.
"That was a shame because it would have been a great round but I hit a terrible tee shot into the trees and a par would have been a bonus," saidPoulter, who won the Moroccan Open earlier this year and the Italian Open last October.
"But I'm very happy. I played great all day apart from a few loose tee shots."
Poulter currently lies 20th in the Ryder Cup table but victory on Sunday would lift him to ninth in the table and the 25-year-old has anotherchance to earn more valuable points after securing an invitation to the USPGA championship in a fortnight's time.
"My manager wrote a letter asking for an invite, telling them what I was doing, and it was nice to receive a letter back so quickly showing theyrecognise that."
Clarke, meanwhile, still has his sights set on catching US Open champion Retief Goosen at the top of the Order of Merit despite trailing the SouthAfrican by almost half a million pounds.
"I always want to win, and to win on a golf course as good as this would be a huge bonus," said the Ulsterman, who revealed he would probablybuy yet another Ferrari if he did win although he would need another garage as well.
"I think I can still catch Retief. I'm hitting the ball the way I want to at the moment, now I need to knock in a few more putts.
"I had my chances to win the Order of Merit last year, but I was just beaten by a better player over the season."
There was also a welcome return to form for former Ryder Cup player Steven Richardson, who has endured a miserable time over the last fewyears.
Richardson, who finished second in the Order of Merit in 1991 ahead of his cup debut at Kiawah Island, has had to battle through the tour'squalifying school for the last three years to retain his card.
He has only made two cuts all season so far - finishing 72nd and 74th - but scorched round the front nine in 29, six under par, on his way to a 66that lifted him from two over to four under par.to four under par. -PA