Dane Anders Hansen, twice a winner of the title, and Spain's Jose Manuel Lara were leading the race to try to catch Luke Donald in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club.
With Donald among the later starters at seven under par following his superb opening 64, Hansen was six adrift when he bogeyed the opening hole of his second round.
But then came four birdies in the next six holes before another dropped shot came at the 391 yard eighth.
With the vast majority of the field wearing navy blue in memory of Seve Ballesteros - it is 20 years to the day that the maestro beat Colin Montgomerie in a play-off - Lara was flying his country's flag proudly.
A birdie at the long fourth took him to four under as well, while Ian Poulter was only one shot further back.
A week after he denied Donald the World Number One sport in Spain - they clashed in the final of the Volvo World Match Play Championship - Poulter mixed two birdies with two bogeys for a front nine 35.
Other big names were fighting to avoid the cut, however, and there was a stark reminder for them as they teed off.
The giant scoreboard left of the first fairway carried not only the positions of the leaders, but also the line: "65th currently 3."
What it meant was that only those three over or better were going through to the final 36 holes as things stood.
That was the mark World Number Three Martin Kaymer was on as he started for home, while Justin Rose and Ernie Els were only one better - and both had turned in 33 for that.
