Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington drifted away from the top of the leaderboard after day two of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans to find themselves seven shots behind Michael Kim and Andrew Putnam.
The American pair shot a round of 69 at two-man team event saw the Americans play a foursome format on Friday,with their 13-under-par total putting them one shot ahead of compatriots Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown.
Kim and Putnam made five birdies and only stumbled on the par-four fifth with a double-bogey, while Kisner and Brown, who last year lost in a playoff, carded a round of 70, making three birdies to finish a stroke back going into the weekend.
It was a disappointing day also for defending champions Jonas Blixt and Cameron Smith, who did not make the cut after a round of 76, making consecutive double bogeys on eighth and ninth holes and adding one more on the 17th.
Jordan Spieth and Ryan Palmer suffered a similar fate when back-to-back double bogeys on the final two holes saw them miss the cut by one shot.
Ryder Cup duo of Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson were at eight-under overall alongside Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell and Englishman Ian Poulter.
