Tom McKibbin's challenge regressed following a second round 74 at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City.
The Holywood golfer, who now plays on the LIV Tour and booked his spot at Augusta next year with a victory in Hong Kong last month, had posted a bogey-free opening round at Gary Player CC to sit on four-under par overnight.
However, a considerably messier round followed on Friday, which was blighted by a double-bogey 7 at the long 14th, with McKibbin driving into the bushes on both his drive and his approach and being forced to take a penalty drop after the latter.
Otherwise, he recorded birdies on the 10th and 17th though these were cancelled out by dropped strokes at 8 and 18, the former European Open champion struggling to a two-over par 74 to sit on two-under par at the midway point.
He's 10 strokes adrift of Norway's Kristoffer Reitan, who retains the lead, though his three shot advantage has been whittled down to one after following his opening round 63 with a three-under par 69 on Friday.
The Norwegian is one stroke clear of reigning Italian Open champion Adrian Saddier, the Frenchman posting a round of 67 to climb to 11-under.
Two strokes further back on nine-under in a tied for third are Saddier's compatriot Julian Guerrier and South Africa's Christian Bezuidenhout, the latter posting the low round of the day with a 65 to delight the home crowds.
