Jarrod Lyle fired the equal best score of the day during the second round to move well into contention at the US PGA Tour event at Riviera Country Club.
Lyle carded an impressive bogey-free six-under-par 65 to move into a tie for third at four under par, just two back of leader Phil Mickelson before bad light stopped play with just a handful of golfers yet to finish.
Mickelson shot a one-under-par 70 in the morning wave to be one ahead of Pat Perez (65) who leapt up into second in the afternoon.
Jimmy Walker (66), Matt Kuchar (69), Carl Pettersen (70) and Jonathan Byrd (70) joined Lyle at four under par.
Mickelson, who just last week won the US Tour event at Pebble Beach, wasn’t quite as crisp as during the first round but still managed to keep the challengers at bay.
Some late bogeys cruelled his chances of a bigger lead however he was helped by a penultimate hole eagle when he launched a lob wedge and spun the ball in from 110 yards.
“I probably didn’t play the greatest today, but I was able to kind of salvage a good round,” Mickelson said.
“I put myself in contention heading into the weekend, which is what my initial goal was, and so with 36 holes to go I’m right in the thick of it.
“I’ve got to go out and shoot some low scores because they’re out there but I gave myself a good opportunity.”
Lyle started with a routine birdie on the par five first but really kick-started his assault with three birdies in his final four front nine holes.
He made short putts for birdie on the sixth and seventh holes after laser approaches and then rolled in a tricky 10-footer on the ninth hole to turn in 31 shots.
He then birdied both par fives on the back nine to move up 50 places from round one.
“Any time you can shoot bogey-free around any golf course is pretty good but this is a golf course that is very, very easy to make bogeys on so today was really good,” Lyle said.
“I didn’t get myself in any trouble and actually holed some putts, which was nice.
“I’m just looking forward to building on this and having a go on the weekend.”
Marc Leishman was the next best Australian after a two-under-par 69 left the Victorian at three under par and in a tie for eighth.
He posted four birdies and two bogeys in a clever scrambling round to remain in contention for a maiden win.
“I don’t know if I played as well as yesterday but I scored better,” Leishman said.
“It’s never a bad thing when you can sort of scrape it around for a couple under.”
Defending champion Aaron Baddeley (69) sits in a tie for 28th at even par while John Senden (+1), Jason Day (+2) and Adam Scott (+2) are likely to make the cut once the round is completed in the morning.
Mat Goggin (+4), Geoff Ogilvy (+5), Robert Allenby (+6), Stuart Appleby (+6) and Greg Chalmers (+7) will be packing up early.
