Justin Rose still leads the Masters heading into the weekend but saw his first-round advantage cut to one shot at Augusta National on Friday.
Rose led by four strokes at seven under par after the opening round but has players queuing up behind him after carding a level-par 72 on day two.
Americans Will Zalatoris and Brian Harman are at six under, with Jordan Spieth and Australia’s Marc Leishman a further shot back, with 10 players now within three of the lead.
Among the notable names to miss the cut – which came at three over par – were defending champion Dustin Johnson (+5), Lee Westwood (+5), Brooks Koepka (+5), and Rory McIlroy (+6).
Bernd Wiesberger, who made six birdies in his opening 10 holes, set the early clubhouse lead at four under par before Leishman went one better with a five-under 67, having started the day at level par.
Rose needed a recovery on the back nine to keep himself in pole position after four bogeys and a birdie saw his four-stroke lead cut to one by the eighth. However, five successive pars on the back nine and then three birdies in the final four holes enable to keep a slender lead heading into the final 36 holes.
“The finger was moving towards the panic button, it was a poor start for sure,” he said. “I was really pleased to turn it around and made some great swings around Amen Corner. I got aggressive on the 13th tee and felt that was the turning point. Rarely do you put together a great round and back it up with another the following day. My intention was to play free, and I did that.”
Spieth, who won Masters in 2015, closed the gap on Rose to two shots with a four-under 68. The 27-year-old birdied three of his last six holes after dropping his only shot of the day at the 12th. Compatriot Tony Finau eagled the second and also made six birdies, with bogeys at 12 and 18 seeing him sign for a six-under 66. He is at four under, alongside Justin Thomas, who fired a 67 to move into contention.
US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau found form after struggling on the opening day, posting a five-under 67 that included seven birdies as he moved to one under par for the week. Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama is also in the group of six players at four under after a one-under 71 that included an eagle from the fringes of the green at the par-five 13th. Tommy Fleetwood and Matthew Fitzpatrick are seven shots back at level par, alongside Scottish debutant Robert MacIntyre, who made five birdies in a second round 70.