First round leader Marcus Fraser joined second round clubhouse leaders Thongchai Jaidee and Tano Goya at the top of the leaderboard at the weather affected Ballantine's Championship at Pinx Golf Club.
A first hole birdie was enough for Australia's Fraser to join the duo at eight under par midway through his second round with Korea's Ted Oh moving alongside Brett Rumford a shot off the pace.
Fraser carded a bogey free 65 on a fog affected first day and enjoyed a day off on Friday after officials opted to reduce the tournament to three rounds.
Due to nearly seven hours of delays on Thursday, defending champion Thongchai, Argentina's Goya and Australian Rumford played virtually two rounds in gusting wind on Friday.
Asian number one Thongchai, 40, carded a superb second round 67, while last year's Madeira Islands Open winner Goya, 21, and Rumford battled to equally impressive hard fought rounds of 70.
Like Fraser, WGC-CA Championship winner Ernie Els made a solid start with two birdies in three holes, but the South African posted a succession of pars to remain at six under par alongside in form rookie Rhys Davies .
Trophee Hassan II Davies, who finished joint runner up last week in China, had briefly topped the leaderboard at nine under par after adding two birdies to a first hole eagle, but the 24 year old slipped down the leaderboard after following up a first dropped shot of the day with a disastrous triple bogey eight.
Davies ambitiously attempted to cut the corner at the 563 yard par five 16th but was forced to take a drop after being faced with an unplayable lie in the bushes.
The Challenge Tour graduate found the fairway with his third shot, but his approach into the green failed to reach the putting surface and agonisingly rolled back into the water and Davies eventually two putted from four feet.
Davies, though, found a response with a third birdie of the day to reach the turn in one under par.
American Anthony Kim also slipped back down the leaderboard following a strong start which had put the Shell Houston Open champion in a tie for the lead.
Kim, who finished third at the Masters, began his second round with four birdies in six holes, but finished with a bogey and back to back double bogeys to leave the Ryder Cup winner three under par overall.
