Matthew Giles took the clubhouse lead on day two of the Fiji International but he had Ryder Cup star Brandt Snedeker hot on his heels at Natadola Bay Golf Course.
The Australian followed up his opening 67 with a 66 to get to 11 under but Snedeker was just one shot back after shooting a 65.
Anthony Houston had equalled the course record on Thursday with a 65 of his own and he recorded a second-round 69 to join Snedeker at ten under.
Houston's record - which had been shared with local hero and course designer Vijay Singh - was also lowered again on Friday morning with New Zealand's Gareth Paddison signing for a 64.
Giles was the first man to make a move and went birdie-birdie on the fifth and sixth before registering an eagle two on the eighth to open up a two-shot lead.
A dropped shot on the 11th moved him back to eight under, though, and Houston was able to join him at that mark with a birdie on the eighth.
Giles bounced straight back with a birdie on the 12th and when he made another on the 14th, he was the first man this week into double figures and had a two-shot lead.
He extended that to three on the next and then went bogey-birdie on the 16th and 17th as Houston and Snedeker closed the gap.
Houston added further birdies on the 15th and 17th while Snedeker extended his bogey-free run to 34 holes.
The Nashville native - who won three points from three at Hazeltine National last week - birdied the tenth, 15th, 17th and first and made a big move with an eagle on the par five sixth before he birdied the ninth for the second day in a row.
There was then a two-shot gap to Australia's Jake Higginbottom and with increased winds expected in the afternoon, it would take something special to catch the leaders.
Higginbottom birdied three of his last four holes to sign for a 70, with countryman Aaron Pike at seven under after also recording a 70.
South Korea's In-hoi Hur was then five shots off the lead alongside Australians Matthew Griffin, Brett Rankin and Aaron Wilkin.
Paddison's 64 was 12 shots better than his first round effort and contained nine birdies and a single bogey to get him to four under.
