New Zealander Tim Wilkinson and rising English star Justin Rose put themselves into contention in the Northern Trust Open as play was suspended for the day at Riviera Country Club with darkness preventing the completion of the second round.
The pair posted four-under-par 67s on a rainy day near Los Angeles to get to six-under for the tournament, four shots off the lead held by Steve Stricker and the still-to-finish Dustin Johnson.
A hole in one from Johnson had helped the first-round leader regain the initiative from Stricker, who had posted an early 65 to get to 10-under and take the clubhouse lead.
Big-hitting Johnson had shot an opening seven-under-par 64 on Thursday to lead by a stroke from Argentina's Andres Romero and fellow American Kevin Stadler but, as he waited to get his second round under way at Pacific Palisades, world No.3 Stricker had moved to the top of the leaderboard with a seven-birdie, one-bogey 65.
Johnson, though, soon made inroads with birdies at the par-five first and the par-three fourth and moved into the outright lead when he aced the 199-yard, par-three sixth - only to fall back to 10-under with a bogey at the 15th in fading light, managing to finish just one more hole before the suspension came.
Romero was trying to keep pace with Johnson and he had got to seven-under after 15 holes when play was halted.
Rose and Wilkinson's 67 put them in a tie for fourth alongside Stadler, who shot a level-par 71 to finish at six-under.
A further shot back at five-under were Americans Anthony Kim (66), Steve Marino (67) and Ricky Barnes (71), with Japan's Ryo Ishikawa on the same mark after 13 holes.
Australian Rod Pampling moved into a share of 21st place at two-under after a one-under 70, while in-form Robert Allenby soared 54 places to be in a tie for 29th after a two-under 69.
Stuart Appleby (even), Marc Leishman (even) and Nick O'Hern (one-over) are all set to make the weekend but with the projected cut at one-over, Aaron Baddeley and Greg Chalmers are in danger of missing out with both at two-over.
Rose's compatriot and Ryder Cup team-mate Luke Donald was one-under for his round after 14 holes, in a group at four-under that also included American Brandt Snedeker (72), South Africa's Ernie Els (70) and defending champion Phil Mickelson.
Mickelson enjoyed a much a better day in the rain than he had on Thursday, when he had shot a one-over 72. The world No.2 got his bid for a third Northern Trust Open title in a row back on track with a 66 to leap 72 places into a tie for 11th.