Scotland are level with the United States at the halfway stage of the World Amateur Team Championship in Australia.
Wallace Booth and Callum Macaulay came to the rescue as Gavin Dear, the third member of the Scottish team, crashed to a seven-over-par 80 at Royal Adelaide.
Only two of the three scores count each day and Booth, brother of Curtis Cup player Carly, fired a brilliant six-under 67 and Macaulay added a 70 to his opening 67 at The Grange.
That meant a 36-hole total of 273, 17 under, and already it looks as if it might be a two-horse race for the Eisenhower Trophy. New Zealand are eight shots back in third.
American Rickie Fowler is top individual so far, rounds of 68 and 67 putting him 10 under and two ahead of Booth and Macaulay.
Wales are lying fifth on seven under, Nigel Edwards being four under, Rhys Enoch two under and Ben Westgate one under, while England's Sam Hutsby, Dale Whitnell and Luke Goddard improved from ninth to seventh on four under.
Hutsby is three under and Whitnell one under, but Goddard five over.
Ireland moved up ten spots to 15th on one under. Johnny Caldwell is two under, Paul Cutler one over and Shane Lowry six over.
Leading scores:
273 United States, Scotland; 281 New Zealand; 282 Sweden; 283 Wales; 284 Australia; 286 England, Spain, Argentina. Other: 289 Ireland.
