Japan's Yuri Fudoh and South Korean Shin Ji-yai shot matching rounds of 68 to tie for the halfway lead on 10-under-par 134 at the women's British Open on Friday.
American 48-year-old Juli Inkster, the first round leader on 65, was in third place on nine under after a 70, while lurking dangerously on seven under was defending champion Lorena Ochoa.
On a day of tough, blustery, conditions the Mexican world number one was one of the few to better her first round score.
With a handful of birdies in a 68, Ochoa warned her rivals: "I like my chances. It was very hard with the wind today, but I played well and I'm feeling very good for the weekend."
One player mightily relieved to make the halfway cut was Annika Sorenstam, who is playing in her 57th and final major.
The Swedish former world number one, who has 10 majors among 88 worldwide titles, made it with a shot to spare on level par after a second successive 72.
The 2003 champion had looked in real danger of missing out when she dropped three shots in a row from the fifth, but a similar run of birdies from the ninth repaired the damage.
Sorenstam, who has only missed the cut four times in majors, said: "It's disappointing, because I wanted to come here and enjoy it and not be worried about playing at the weekend.
"But I seem to have struggled ever since I made the announcement (in May) that I would be stepping away from the tour at the end of the season. It's always the same story, I play 15 good holes and the others cost me too much.
"But today I just kept grinding and that's the way it's been my whole career. I just never give up."
Fudoh had three birdies and eagled the long 10th from seven feet, while the 20-year-old Shin, who finished in the top six at last year's women's U.S. Open, also eagled the 10th, hitting her second shot to two feet.
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