Defending champion Keita Nakajima continued his love affair with DLF Golf and Country Club as he fired a stunning second-round 66 to share the lead with Eugenio Chacarra at the halfway stage of the Hero Indian Open.
With the tricky host course showing its teeth on Friday, many of those who had gone low in round one found themselves slipping down the leaderboard.
But Japanese star Nakajima made a huge move in the right direction in the afternoon, turning in 29 after carding seven birdies and no bogeys on the front nine.
He then mixed two birdies with three bogeys and produced some wonderful par saves on the homeward nine to head into the weekend on four under par alongside Chacarra after the pair had taken it in turns to lead for much of the afternoon.
Spain's Chacarra made six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey in his 70.
The co-leaders were two shots clear of the large group in a tie for third on two under.
Last year's winner Nakajima started the day six shots off the lead on two over par but soon set about closing the gap, as he opened his round with a birdie from five feet before rolling in a monster birdie putt on the third to return to level par.
He then chipped in for another birdie at the fourth and holed from around ten feet on the short fifth to make it a hat-trick of gains but the 24-year-old was still four shots adrift of the charging Chacarra.
Nakajima holed another long-ranger at the sixth for a fourth successive birdie before making it five on the bounce from six feet at the seventh to close the gap to two.
But after Chacarra made a double bogey on the 17th, Nakajima found himself tied at the top, and he soon led on his own after getting up an down for a birdie on the ninth to turn in 29.
Having saved par from five feet at the tenth, Nakajima bogeyed the 11th but curled in from 20 feet at the 13th for a birdie.
He gave the shot straight back on the 14th but a monster birdie putt at the 15th saw him regain the outright lead.
And he made vital saves at the 16th and 17th to stay there before surrendering a bogey at the last to finish on four under.
Nakajima said: "It was a great day and also it was so fun. Two rounds, so yeah, two more days.
"So my mindset changed. This is a tough course but a fun course. Me and my caddie were talking about playing it like a fun course. Just keep patient, and keep smiling. That was good.
"Maybe I will feel a little nervous tomorrow morning but I will try playing with a smile and also have fun. That'd be great."
Chacarra started at the tenth tee and made a hat-trick of gains at the 11th, 12th and 13th before holing from three feet on the 15th to move to six under.
A double bogey at the 17th stalled his progress but he got the shots back with birdies on the 18th and third respectively after first producing a delightful chip and then sending his tee-shot to tap-in range.
But back-to-back bogeys on the fourth and fifth saw Chacarra finish the day on four under.
He said: "Obviously it was tough. The afternoon wave in a course like this is going to be tougher and the wind picked up I think pretty much all day but it was tough.
"Obviously really pleased with the result. I think I started really good but I think I left some out there to be honest.
"I'm just trying to have fun. I know this course is a test for everyone and one bad swing hits you hard. So I'm happy with the result but obviously it's only Friday. Really excited for hopefully a good weekend."
There were two holes-in-one on Friday as Joel Girrbach holed his tee-shot at the par-three 12th before Justin Harding got his ace at the fifth.
