Belfast¿s Michael Hoey held on to his overnight lead at the halfway stage of the European Tour School stage one qualifier at Cheshire's Carden Park when he added a 68 to his course record 63 for an 11 under par aggregate.
The former Walker Cup player and amateur champion, who turned professional after competing in this year's US Masters at Augusta, played as solidly in the second round as he did in the first but the difference lay in the putting.
"I was not trying to shoot another low score and settled for aiming for the middle of the greens so I did not have the same number of birdie chances," he said.
"I played more cautiously because I did all the hard work in the first round and I just need to keep it together over the last two days," he added.
Hoey, 23, picked up his first bogey in two rounds at the uphill fifth when he got a flier through the green after finding the rough from the tee.
He leads by three shots from Australian amateur Marcus Fraser who repeated his first round 67, while Welshman Craig Williams is a stroke further back.
Gary Marks strengthened his grip on first place at the Five Lakes qualifier with a second round 67.
It leaves him on 14 under par 130, four strokes clear of the field with his only concern being whether his damaged hand will stand up to two more rounds over the testing Essex course.
Jimmy Kawalec, from Sweden, with 68, Devonian left-hander Simon McCarthy, and New Zealand amateur Tom Wilkinson, who both went round in 66, are Marks' closest pursuers on 134.