Kevin Kisner and Zach Johnson found themselves sharing the halfway lead as well as a house for the week at the 147th Open Championship.
As Race to Dubai champion Tommy Fleetwood carded the joint-lowest round on day two to lead the European challenge on five under, Kisner and Johnson reached halfway on six under par at Carnoustie.
Johnson, who is looking to become the first player in history to win major titles at Augusta, St Andrews and Carnoustie, added a 67 to his opening 69 to set the early clubhouse target.
First-round leader Kisner looked set to surpass that with ease when he birdied the 13th and 14th to reach eight under, only to hit his second shot to the 18th into the Barry Burn and run up a double-bogey six.
That meant Fleetwood was just a shot off the lead after defying wet conditions earlier in the day to card a flawless 65, two shots outside the course record he set in last year's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Fleetwood’s effort was matched late in the day by American Xander Schauffele, who joined him on five under, along with Pat Perez.
Maybe I'm just overly conservative and boring and that's perfectly fine - Zach Johnson
Rory McIlroy was another stroke back on four under after compiling a second consecutive 69 to share sixth with Matt Kuchar, Tony Finau and South Africans Zander Lombard and Erik van Rooyen.
Johnson won the Masters in 2007 and the Open at St Andrews in 2015 by beating Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in a play-off, but came into the week firmly under the radar.
"I don't know who is managing the radar. It is irrelevant to me," said the 42 year old, who is sharing accommodation at the Open for the third year in succession, with Kisner joining Johnson, defending champion Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Jimmy Walker, Jason Dufner and Rickie Fowler in domestic bliss.
"Maybe I'm just overly conservative and boring and that's perfectly fine. I just like to compete. It doesn't matter where it is, what it is. Just give me an opportunity."
Despite his blemish at the last, Kisner was pleased to have put himself in contention.
“I got off to the start I wanted to, a couple under through seven,” he said. “Got a little greedy on the eighth, made bogey.
“Got it to where I wanted to be and obviously made double on the last hole. Didn't think I would hit that in the burn with an eight-iron but just didn't come out the way I saw it.
“Hit a lot of great putts coming down the stretch. Probably could have made two or three more, but they all lipped out. I love where my putter is and love my position going into the weekend.”
Fleetwood finished just a shot behind Brooks Koepka at Shinnecock Hills after agonisingly missing from eight feet for birdie on the 72nd hole to equal the all-time Major record of 62.
A first Major title could now beckon on home soil instead and make Fleetwood the first Englishman to lift the Claret Jug since Sir Nick Faldo in 1992.
"It would be very special," the world number ten said. "I can't lie about it. If I could pick one tournament in my life to win, it would be the Open. I've never been anywhere near before.
"We're only halfway through the tournament unfortunately. There's no point thinking about the end game. Thirty six holes is a long time."
World Number Three Justin Rose birdied the last to make the cut on three over, with Masters Tournament winner Patrick Reed and former champion Henrik Stenson also among those sneaking through on the number.
