Veteran Kiyoshi Murota carded six birdies on his way to a 4-under-par 68 on Friday to edge into a 1-shot lead at 11-under 133 at the halfway stage of the 140 million yen Casio World Open golf tournament.
But Shingo Katayama, last year's top money winner in Japan, and Spain's top golfer, Sergio Garcia, surged up the leaderboard to join a 4-way tie for second after low-scoring rounds at the Ibusuki Golf Club's Kaimon Course.
Katayama shot up the field after eight birdies in a blemish-free 64 to tie the day's best round and Garcia was also impressive with just one bogey in his round of 65.
Veteran Masashi "Jumbo" Osaki, looking for his first title of the season, also joined the tie for second at 10-under 134 with a 69 together with overnight leader Brendan Jones from Australia who failed to match his first-day fireworks in a 70.
No change in leaders
SADOWARA, Miyazaki Pref. (Kyodo) Overnight co-leaders Kaori Higo and Michiko Hattori both shot 1-under-par 71s on Friday to stay tied at the top of the leaderboard at 6-under 138 midway through the Japan LPGA Tour Championship golf tournament.
Kasumi Fujii equaled the course record of 65 to move into a four-way tie for second place just one shot off the pace along with Ikuyo Shiotani (69), Aki Takamura (70) and Mineko Nasu (71) after two rounds of the JLPGA's season-ending tournament.
The four-day contest, one of three major tournaments on the Japanese tour, features all the year's winners as well as any other golfer in the top 20 of the tour's money rankings.
Chieko Amanuma, the only golfer with a mathematical chance of overtaking Fudo, had an unhappy day after a 75 to leave her in joint 17th place on a 4-over 148 total.