England's Ian Poulter led Scot Paul Lawrie by one after four holes of their Volvo World Match Play Championship clash in Spain.
After coming from three down to halve with Ryder Cup teammate Francesco Molinari in his opening group game Poulter kicked off with a bogey yet again.
But Lawrie, Open Champion in 1999 and in the event courtesy of his Open de Andalucía presented by Turkish Airlines victory in March, conceded the next and he could not match Poulter's birdie three on the driveable fourth.
The Aberdeen golfer had sat out the opening day like the other seven lowest-ranked players in the 24-strong field and he also had Molinari to face in the afternoon.
South African Retief Goosen hit back from his last-green loss to Rory McIlroy to lead Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts by one after two, but Spaniard Alvaro Quiros - conqueror of Paul Casey - was on course for a place in the last 16 when he led Dane Soren Kjeldsen by one after three.
Quiros actually started with a double bogey six, but a par on the short next was good enough and he birdied the long third.
Poulter also birdied the short sixth to move two up - a win would ensure his place in the knock-out stages - but Lawrie came back with a winning birdie on the long eighth.
After beating Masters Tournament champion Charl Schwartzel, Miguel Angel Jiménez was having a far tougher time against Johan Edfors.
They were level after four, but the Swede won the next three, while Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen came back from his defeat to Graeme McDowell to be two up on Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas after four.
Lawrie made a mess of the ninth and Poulter did not even have to putt to go two up again, but the Aberdonian hit it close on the short tenth and by matching his opponent's brilliant chip at the 12th remained only one down.
Edfors was still three up on Jimenez after ten - both were in bunkers there - and the other player three up was American Ryan Moore. Beaten by Luke Donald on the opening day, Moore took the fourth, fifth and sixth holes off defending champion Ross Fisher.
Lawrie levelled after pitching close at the 14th, but promptly bogeyed the next.
Quiros went four ahead with five to play on Kjeldsen and, having beaten Paul Casey, his last 16 spot was almost in the bag.
There were some fightbacks under way, though. Jimenez won three in a row from the 12th to be only one down to Edfors, Fisher took the ninth and tenth to reduce the deficit to two down against Moore and Colsaerts won the 11th and 12th to be back on terms with Goosen.
