Danny Lee is hovering near the cut zone but Sir Bob Charles looks certain to bow out of the New Zealand Open later today.
Lee, the US Amateur champion and main attraction at The Hills course, has been in mixed form through the first nine holes.
He had a nasty double-bogey after a poor wedge shot on the par-four third hole, and bogied the par-five ninth.
Lee started the day at one-under and is now one-over. The cut is expected to be at about par.
Sir Bob charmed the galleries at the first Open held at The Hills when he made the cut aged 71.
This time, he has found the going much tougher in colder and windier conditions. He is presently seven-over for the day, having bogied four consecutive holes to add to two earlier double-bogies.
The loss of both Charles and Lee would be a massive blow for Open organisers, given the galleries that have flocked to see the New Zealand
players.
But there are still plenty of big names left. Americans Josh Teater and Alex Prugh, at eight-under-par, still lead the tournament.
New Zealander Josh Geary is a shot back, tied for third with four other players. Geary started the day on par but finished it seven-under after a sizzling round of 65.
He had seven birdies and no bogies in a flawless round in tricky wind conditions.
Another good round came from Australian Michael Wright, who carded a five-under 67 to follow his opening-round 73 and move into a tie for
ninth.
New Zealander Phil Taturangi stuggled all day and posted a five-over 77. At seven-over for the tournament, he will miss the cut.
Earlier, New Zealand golfer Michael Long made a superb start to the second round.
Long birdied four of his last five holes and is four-under, tied for seventh, after starting the day on par.
Fellow Kiwi Grant Moorhead went through nine holes in 32, with four birdies and no bogies.
He started the day at three-over-par but is now one-under, tied for 46th and nicely placed to make the cut.
The news is not so good for Dunedin golfer Mahal Pearce, who shot a triple-bogey seven on his second hole and has gone from six-over to nine-over and looks destined to miss the weekend.
Phil Tataurangi is also struggling. He started well but has dropped five shots in the last five holes to be five-over for the tournament.
American Alex Prugh, the overnight co-leader, has had a mixed round with three birdies and two bogies. He is now the outright leader at eight-under.
