Bernhard Langer shares the halfway lead with Corey Pavin at The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard as both players seek a first Major in the over-50 ranks.
Germany's Langer has twice won the Champions Tour Order of Merit, but despite seven top-ten finishes in Senior Majors he is yet to add to the two Masters Tournaments he won in 1985 and 1993.
He added a level par 71 to his opening 67 to remain four under, and was joined by Pavin - who by contrast is playing in his first Senior Major - as the US Ryder Cup Captain signed for a second consecutive 69.
It could have been better for Langer - he hit a five iron to 50 feet and two putted for birdie at the sixth, then converted from seven feet for another gain at the next.
But he came unstuck on both par threes on the inward nine - first misjudging the wind at the 13th and ending up in a pot bunker, then three-putting from off the green at the 16th.
"I was very pleased with my driving of the ball my tee shots were solid and I hit a lot of fairways and I really put myself in a good position off the tee but didn't take advantage," said Langer - fourth in this event for the last two years.
"The short game wasn't quite as good. I didn't make as many putts today, and some of those putts off the green didn't get close enough. Plus, I saw the wind was blowing a little harder and it was blowing all day long.
"I was hoping maybe the last couple of hours, sometimes the wind drops in the evening, but it didn't drop today. It's blowing the whole day and it makes links golf that much harder. Just a lot of crosswinds out there where you have to fight the bunkers in the water and it's hard to get the ball close to some of the pins when you have crosswinds.
"Overall, I'm pretty pleased. I wish I would have made one or two more putts, but generally, I played quite well, and I'm happy with that."
Pavin could also have pulled further away from the field - he had four unanswered birdies when he reached the 18th, but hooked a five wood out of bounds and ran up a double bogey.
"I hit some good shots," he said. "The shot on 16 was a pretty good shot, obviously - it was good execution.
"It's the kind of course you need to hit some good shots out there. I hit a really good shot into 17 I thought might be reasonably close and ended up 40 feet away. You hit a lot of shots like that in links style golf.
"You can hit some shots that you kind of hit it a little thin and then they run up and end up pretty good. That's the good fun about it."
Wales' Ian Woosnam returned to form with a 67 to move into a share of third on three under, alongside American trio Jay Haas, Dan Forsman and Larry Mize.
"I think yesterday I finished with a birdie and I just had a little click on the swing there the last couple of swings I had, and so thought I would take that out today," said Woosnam.
"There wasn't much wind and that can be a little bit more of a chance to get into a bit of a rhythm, as well."
