Kiwi Ryan Fox and South African Garrick Higgo have fallen slightly off the pace at the Zurich Classic team event at New Orleans.
Starting the day in a share of eighth, the pair could only manage an even-par 72 in their second round of foursomes (alternate ball) to remain at nine-under overall for the tournament and drop to a tie for 26th.
Their round featured four birdies, which were offset by four bogeys, placing them four shots back from a trio of teams atop the board, including day one leaders Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry.
The Ulsterman and Irishman posted a two-under 70 in foursomes in the second round to move to 13-under 131, where they're tied with Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard (70), David Lipsky and England's Aaron Rai (70), and Davis Thompson and Andrew Novak (69).
The team event will move back to a four-ball (best ball) format, before foursomes are played for the final round at TPC Louisiana.
Playing the event together for the first time, McIlroy and Lowry started their second round on the back nine, and had two birdies and two bogeys on their card, before sinking consecutive birdies at the par-five seventh and par-four eighth.
Lowry's bunker shot at No.8 rolled to within a few feet of the hole to set up the final birdie.
A more experienced pairing is part of a tie for fifth, one shot behind the leaders. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele shot the round of the day, a five-under 67, to move to 12 under for the tournament.
They'd be part of the lead had they not taken their only bogey of the day at the 18th hole.
Cantlay and Schauffele won the tournament in 2022 and tied for fourth in 2023.
The cut-line was eight under, just five shots off the lead, as 41 of the 80 teams in the field made the weekend.
Notables to miss the cut included Sahith Theegala/Will Zalatoris (six under) and two sets of twin brothers - Pierceson and Parker Coody (five under), and Denmark's Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard (five under).
Reuters/Newshub
