The American’s bid to retain his card via the money list got a big boost on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, however, when Hamilton shot a bogey-free, five-under-par second-round 66 at Harbour Town Golf Links.

That gave him the early clubhouse lead at eight under par for the first 36 holes, two ahead of Germany’s Cejka, who was one over for the round at the turn having shot an opening 64 on Thursday.

Cejka began his second round poorly with back-to-back bogeys, his first of the week, on his third and fourth holes having started from the 10th tee.

The German had a birdie at the par-five 15th, his sixth, and moved to within a stroke of Hamilton with a second successive birdie at his seventh, only to fall back to six under par with a bogey at the par-three 17th, where he had sunk a 47-foot putt the previous day for birdie.

Lee Janzen had opened with a 65 and the two-time US Open champion was level par for his second round after four holes, two shots back of the lead on six under alongside Cejka and fellow American Brian Gay, two under for his round after four holes, with former US PGA champion Davis Love III on five under following a 67.

Rory Sabbatini of South Africa was in the clubhouse with a 68 that took him to four under.

Spanish veteran Jose Maria Olazabal had begun the day in a tie for sixth after an opening, three-under 68 and the two-time Masters champion followed that with a second-round 71 to stay at three under at the halfway mark, the mark Rod Pampling of Australia had reached after 10 holes.

Ernie Els followed suit with a 71 that also kept him at three under, where his South African compatriot Trevor Immelman had slipped to after back-to-back bogeys at the first and second holes.

Immelman was still two over for the day after three holes.

England’s Greg Owen shot a 71 to stay at two under while Argentina’s Jose Coceres was at one under after he posted a 67 to turn his week around following an opening 74. Among those also on one under were Nathan Green of Australia, who had a 71, Camilo Villegas of Colombia, level for his round after four holes, and Zach Johnson of the US, level after three.

Australia’s Stephen Leaney dropped back into the pack at level par with a second-round 74, tied, amongst others, with compatriot Nick O’Hern and Tom Clark of South Africa.

Rory McIlroy birdied the par-five second to get his round off to a good start and move to level par while Australian Aaron Baddeley bounced back from an opening 75 with a 68 to take him to one over.

That put Baddeley alongside Jeev Milkha Singh of India, one over for the day after three holes while English duo Paul Casey and Luke Donald had work to do to stay inside the projected cut line of two over.

Both shot two-over 73s on Thursday with Donald level for the second round playing the ninth and Casey level after four.

Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson was three over at the turn, with American Jim Furyk among those in the clubhouse on three over and England’s Brian Davis home at four over.

Swedish pair Daniel Chopra and Carl Pettersson were facing a weekend off, the former in the clubhouse at five over following a 76 and the latter on the same mark, three over for the day after five holes.

Scotland’s Martin Laird was two over after seven holes, eight over for the week.