Australian great Karrie Webb dug deep but compatriot Minjee Lee fell in a hole as two great Brits staked claims on the Women's Australian Open on Friday.
Webb, seeking a sixth national crown, is two shots behind the leaders after the second round at The Grange in Adelaide's west.
But fellow Australian Lee scraped into the weekend at one-over par - the cut was three-over.
England's Holly Clyburn and Scot Catriona Matthew are joint leaders at eight-under, and German Caroline Masson is among a quartet at seven-under.
South Korean SooBin Kim followed her course record 63 on Thursday with a four-over 77 to be four-under - two strokes behind Webb, who described her one-under as a scratchy second round.
"I wasn't as sharp with my iron play," Webb said.
"I still hit 14 greens (in regulation) but didn't have a lot of decent looks at birdies.
"I just really hung in ... I really dug deep for a couple of good pars."
The five-time champ believed a string of low rounds won't be needed to capture the title.
"I don't think four low scores are going to win this tournament," Webb said.
"The course is challenging enough that you're not going to go out there and shoot mid-60s every day."
Webb is poised to pressure leaders Clyburn, an LPGA rookie whose seven-under was the low round of the day, and 46-year-old mother of two Matthew, who is seeking another Australian Open title 20 years after winning her first.
"I hadn't really thought about it being 20 years ago," Matthew said, adding she still loved competing against upstarts more than half her age.
"That is the beauty of golf ... it doesn't matter what your age is - as long as you can hit the golf ball and still get it in the hole."
New Zealand's world No.1 and defending champion Lydia Ko posted a solid two-under for the second day in a row to lurk ominously at four-under.
"Being a few shots behind isn't a bad position," Ko said.
In contrast, Perth's Lee, who entered the tournament as the highest-ranked Australian, slipped from contention after a four-over 76 blighted by a double-bogey and four bogeys.
But she made the cut, unlike English veteran Laura Davies (10-over) and Tiger Woods' niece Cheyenne Woods (five-over).
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