Defending champion Steve Stricker reeled in overnight leader Hunter Mahan and grabbed the second-round lead at The Barclays as world number three Padraig Harrington missed the cut.
Mahan had laid down his marker for the first of four FedEx Cup play-off tournaments by blasting a nine-under-par opening round at the 7,319-yard Ridgewood Country Club course in New Jersey, four shots better than second-placed Paul Casey of England.
Stricker started the day a further two shots adrift in a tie for eighth place but proved eager for the chase.
The American, who won the 2007 event at Westchester Country Club, holed a birdie at the par-three second hole, and then eagled the par-five third, chipping in from 67 yards from the fairway.
Stricker then closed to within two shots of Mahan with a birdie at the fifth hole to reach the turn in 31, four under for his round. He added another birdie at the 11th and drew level with the leader at the 13th with his fourth birdie of the day.
The outright lead became his with a birdie two at the 15th to move to 10 under on the way to a 64 before Mahan had even begun his round.
The low scoring has been a surprise given the pre-tournament predictions of tight fairways, punitive rough and small greens.
"It is a good course. You've got to do a lot of good things," Stricker said.
"The greens are tough. But I didn't think the scoring was going to be this low. And when Hunter goes out and shoots that nine-under round yesterday, it shows you that it is capable and it is out there."
Mahan failed to build on his dominant position as conditions toughened in the afternoon and fell to seven under, two shots adrift with a second-round 73.
"Putts," said Mahan when asked the difference between his two rounds, although he also acknowledged the condition of the course at different times of the day.
"No question," he added. "Especially Thursday morning to Friday afternoon, it's a different golf course. The greens are definitely bouncy and firmer and definitely played tougher."
American Dudley Hart and Angel Cabrera of Argentina finished their second rounds on six under for the tournament after rounds of 69 and 67 respectively while Kenny Perry, FedEx Cup points leader in Tiger Woods' absence, joined them, also with a 67.
Anthony Kim quickly got over an opening day he described as "one of the toughest rounds I've ever played" to move to six under after 14 holes before finishing at five under at the halfway mark.
Kim, a two-time winner in just his second year on the PGA Tour and an automatic qualifier for the US Ryder Cup team, had been stung by a bee and suffered an adverse reaction to medication during his opening round of 70.
Today, Kim provided the bite with five birdies, his only blemish coming at the par-three eighth, his 17th of the day, which he bogeyed for a second-round 67.
Sergio Garcia also shot a 67 to send him to five under at the halfway stage. Starting on the 10th tee, the US PGA Championship runner-up bounced back from a bogey at his second hole with birdies at the third, fourth, eighth and ninth to reach the turn in 33, four under for the tournament.
He too bogeyed his 10th hole but moved to five under with birdies on his 13th and 16th holes.
Also on five under was Kevin Streelman, who had opened at four under.
Casey was disappointed to finish bogey, bogey having started at the 10th tee, leaving him back where he started at five under and ruing a tough afternoon spent on drying, quickening greens.
"The golf course, certainly in the last nine holes, I felt was very crispy, greens especially," Casey said.
"The sixth green was toasty. I mean, it's glazed and very difficult to get the ball rolling consistently on those greens.
"But it's the same for everybody. I found the golf course yesterday morning was perfect and Steve Stricker has obviously found the same sort of set-up.
"The afternoon is a different kettle of fish. It's tricky."
It was certainly tricky for Open and US PGA Championship winner Harrington, who at three over par and after a second round of 73 comprising four birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey, missed the cut, which fell at two over - his first missed weekend since The Players Championship in May.
Collated second round scores & totals in the USPGA Tour The Barclays, Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus, New Jersey, United States of America (USA unless stated, par 71):
132 Steve Stricker 68 64
135 Hunter Mahan 62 73
136 Kenny Perry 69 67, Dudley Hart 67 69, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 69 67
137 Paul Casey (Eng) 66 71, Anthony Kim 70 67, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 70 67, Kevin Streelman 67 70
138 Charley Hoffman 67 71, George McNeill 68 70, Ryan Palmer 69 69, Bubba Watson 68 70
139 Patrick Sheehan 69 70, Bill Haas 71 68, Mike Weir (Can) 72 67, Martin Laird (Sco) 70 69, Kevin Sutherland 70 69, Ben Curtis 71 68, Tim Clark (Rsa) 70 69
140 Nick Watney 71 69, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 70 70, Tim Herron 69 71, John Merrick 69 71, Billy Mayfair 70 70, Lucas Glover 70 70, Lee Janzen 71 69, Andres Romero (Arg) 72 68, Phil Mickelson 70 70, Justin Leonard 70 70, Michael Allen 73 67, Vijay Singh (Fij) 70 70, Brett Quigley 71 69, Briny Baird 69 71, Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 68 72
141 Mathew Goggin (Aus) 67 74, Jim Furyk 70 71, Jeff Overton 74 67, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 70 71, John Senden (Aus) 71 70, Bo Van Pelt 67 74, Glen Day 70 71, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 71 70
142 Dean Wilson 72 70, Justin null Bolli 71 71, Frank Lickliter II 71 71, Jerry Kelly 72 70, Steve Elkington (Aus) 71 71, Mark Wilson 72 70, Jason null Day (Aus) 74 68, Kevin Na 72 70, J J Henry 70 72, J.B. Holmes 71 71, Paul Goydos 70 72, Robert Allenby (Aus) 69 73, Jay Williamson 74 68, Rich Beem 68 74, Jonathan Byrd 72 70, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 72 70, Brandt Snedeker 71 71
143 Brian Davis (Eng) 69 74, Eric Axley 78 65, Stewart Cink 73 70, John Mallinger 70 73, Charlie Wi (Kor) 72 71, Chad Campbell 71 72, Richard S Johnson (Swe) 74 69, KJ Choi (Kor) 74 69, Tim Petrovic 71 72, Ken Duke 72 71, Scott Verplank 73 70, Nicholas Thompson 75 68
----------------The following players failed to make the cut---------------------
144 Jeff Quinney 74 70, Woody Austin 72 72, Greg Kraft 76 68, Heath Slocum 73 71, Jon Mills (Can) 70 74, Nathan Green (Aus) 77 67, Sean O'Hair 73 71, Ernie Els (Rsa) 71 73, Jason Gore 74 70, Steve Flesch 72 72, Matt Kuchar 74 70, Tom Lehman 71 73, Tom Pernice Jnr. 73 71, Cliff Kresge 70 74, Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 69 75, Dustin Johnson 75 69, John Rollins 72 72, Camilo Villegas (Col) 72 72, Troy Matteson 75 69
145 Zach Johnson 72 73, Brian Gay 73 72, David Toms 74 71, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 72 73, Charles Howell III 72 73, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 72 73, Corey Pavin 69 76, Ian Poulter (Eng) 73 72, Boo Weekley 71 74, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 72 73, Stephen Ames (Can) 74 71
146 Steve Marino 71 75, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 73 73, Johnson Wagner 71 75, Shane Bertsch 73 73
147 Rodney Pampling (Aus) 71 76, Joe Ogilvie 74 73, James Driscoll 74 73, Chez Reavie 75 72, Fred Couples 75 72, Ben Crane 72 75, Rocco Mediate 70 77, D.J. Trahan 76 71
148 Brad null Adamonis 76 72, Scott McCarron 73 75, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 75 73, Bart Bryant 72 76, Steve Lowery 73 75, Parker McLachlin 74 74, Tommy Armour III 72 76, Peter Lonard (Aus) 73 75
149 Pat Perez 78 71, Vaughn Taylor 75 74, Mark Calcavecchia 75 74, Chris DiMarco 74 75, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 72 77, Matthew Jones (Aus) 77 72
150 Michael Letzig 77 73, Adam Scott (Aus) 68 82
151 Charles Warren 72 79, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 76 75
152 Joe Durant 75 77, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl) 76 76
154 Ryan Moore 76 78
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