With swirling winds making an already challenging course more difficult, Bob Tway and Lee Janzen grabbed a one-stroke lead over defending champion Retief Goosen midway through the BellSouth Classic.
Tway overcame a three-stroke deficit by shooting the lowest score of the day at the TPC at Sugarloaf, a six-under-par 66 that included four straight birdies midway through the round.
Janzen came from two shots back with a five-under 67 that featured an eagle two at the 13th hole and gave him a share of the lead at eight-under 136.
Goosen gained fame with his memorable US Open triumph in 2001. Since then, he has reached as high as number four in the world rankings, winning six other events worldwide.
Now ranked seventh in the world, the easy-going South African settled for a 70 yesterday but is alone in third at six-under 138, a stroke ahead of a group of four that includes first-round leader Chris DiMarco.
Nineteen others are within five strokes of the lead, but Phil Mickelson is not one of them. He is not even close, missing the cut for the first time at this event after shooting a 79 that left him tied for 121st at eight-over 152.
"I felt coming in I wasn't as comfortable headed into this competition," said Mickelson, the fourth-ranked player in the world. "I wasn't playing as well as I wanted to and I wasn't in a patient frame of mind."
Mickelson, who is second among active PGA Tour members with 21 wins, is not exactly in prime form heading into next week's Masters. Criticised for his inability to win a major, he has played only two competitive rounds the past month.
"I enjoyed a chance to get ready for next week," he said. "Unfortunately, I'll have only two rounds instead of four."
Mickelson's final round before the first major of the season included just two birdies, four bogeys, a double-bogey and a triple-bogey. He finished the day with a seven at the par-five 18th, where he put his third shot in the water.
"I didn't play well the last couple of days," he conceded. "The greens were very hard, very fast. It was very tough around the greens."