Overnight joint leader Scott Laycock of Australia gained sole possession of first place after shooting a 1-under-par 69 in the second round of the Suntory Open on Friday.
Laylock made up for two dropped shots with three straight birdies from No. 16 on his way to a 36-hole total of 6-under 134 at Sobu Country Club, moving one stroke clear of four players including first-round co-leader Y.E. Yang of South Korea.
Yang could only manage an even-par 70 in a tie with Toru Taniguchi (67), Katsuya Nakagawa (67) and Hideto Tanihara (69).
Teenage amateur Ryota Ito became the youngest player to make the cut in a top-tier professional tour in Japan at 14 years and two months as he completed the first two rounds at 70-69, three shots above the cut line.