Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry both posted rounds of 69 to climb into the top 20 after their second rounds at the the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Golf Club.
With a few players set to complete their second rounds on Saturday, McIlroy sits in a tie for sixth place, four shots behind leader Max Homa, after carding a birdie in the final hole of his round at the 9th.
Beginning on the back nine, McIlroy opened with a bogey on the 10th, before carding back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13. It was a steady and uneventful round from there, the four-time major winner registering 13 successive pars before ending the mundane streak with a birdie at the last to lift him to with three of the lead.
McIlroy was paired with Tiger Woods - who apologised after his round for handing Justin Thomas a tampon after out-driving him at the 15th hole on Thursday - who was left sweating on the cut-line at one-over-par.
Woods' putting touch deserted him late on, with three bogeys in the final four holes, and he'll have to wait to find out whether or not he will be back for the weekend's action.
Two strokes further back from McIlroy is Lowry, the 2019 Open Champion carding a second successive 69 at the Californian venue.
Also beginning on 10, Lowry reached the turn in 34 thanks to birdies at the 11th and 12th. Another birdie followed at the 1st before a rather messy finish, with a bogey at 7, a birdie at 8, before ending a dropped stroke at the 9th.
Seamus Power carded a second round of 70 to sit at one-under par, rattling in late birdies on 16 and 17 to get under par by the midway point meaning all three Irish players will start the third round inside the top 40.
Homa shot a three under 68 to take the lead headed into the weekend.
After sharing the lead with Keith Mitchell at the close of the opening round, Homa relied on a flurry of birdies at the turn in his second trip around The Riviera Country Club to claim a solo one-stroke advantage.
The American battled through a pair of early bogeys to pick up shots on the ninth, 10th, 11th and 13th en route to an overall score of 10 under.
Meanwhile, Mitchell remains hot on Homa's heels at nine under, alongside Jon Rahm and Lee Hodges.
