Xander Schauffele is the runaway leader at the Wells Fargo Championship, but looking over his shoulder is two former world No.1s in Rory McIlroy and Jason Day.
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Schauffele shot a 4-under 67 on Friday after opening with a 64, leaving him at 11-under 131 and four ahead of Day and McIlroy heading into the weekend.
Taylor Moore and Sungjae Im are five strokes back at six under.
The 30-year-old Schauffele has seven top-10 finishes this season, but no wins. He's looking to snap a winless streak that dates to July 2022 at the Genesis Scottish Open.
"I've had a few knocks on the door and I just tell myself to keep knocking," Schauffele said.
Schauffele said the drought is something he's always thinking about, but added the toughest part is just to stay in the present.
"You just have to recognise the situation you are in, and realise that you are playing some good golf and just get out of your own way at times," Schauffele said.
Schauffele's was locked in most of the day.
He hit 15 greens and his only hiccup came when he made bogey on the 18th hole while he was trying to rush to finish his round and beat a storm that would suspend play for about an hour.
McIlroy entered the day three shots behind Schauffele, but managed to lose ground despite not making a bogey. McIlroy finished with a 68. He had several opportunities to put the pressure on Schauffele, but missed a few makeable putts.
Still, he walked away feeling good.
"Felt like I probably could have squeezed a couple more out of the round, but anytime you can go around this golf course bogey free it's always going to be a decent day," said McIlroy.
The world No.2 has had some spectacular weekend performances before at Quail Hollow, including a club-record 61 in 2015. He closed with a 62 in 2010 to win his first PGA Tour title.
He said he will lean on those as he sets his sights on catching Schauffele.
"Anytime you're playing a golf course where you've shot some really low scores, you know that it's out there," said McIlroy, the only three-time winner of the event.
"I know if I get it going around here I can make some birdies and chase him down. I've had so many good memories here, I just feel positive vibes."
Day, winner of the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship, had a 67.
Even though the Australian has three top-10 finishes this season, he has struggled of late with only one top-25 placing in his last six events.
"I've had a run over the last month and a half, two months where it's just been kind of poor play, poor hitting," Day said.
"I've been losing a ton of strokes to the field approach to green, not necessarily on the driver. It's weird, it's kind of strange to drive it decently well and to hit it poor coming into the greens."
Max Homa, the only player other than McIlroy with multiple wins at the Wells Fargo Championship, is eight shots behind after a 70.
Australian Associated Press
