BASSALEG-based Phillip Price fell back from 26th to 60th with a second round 75 in the US Tour qualifying school competition in Florida.
But 24-year-old John Morgan, the former England amateur international from Bristol who turned professional only in April, is joint leader at the halfway stage.
Just the top 21 players from the three seperate tournaments in California, Texas and Florida go through to the next phase. Ryder Cup hero Price stands on the one-over-par mark of 145.
Morgan won on the European Challenge Tour in July and finished eighth on their Order of Merit to earn himself a place on the main circuit next season.
But the stablemate of Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood and Paul McGinley decided to go for his US Tour card as well and added a 69 to his opening 66 to reach halfway on 135, nine under. Swedes Mathias Gronberg and Carl Pettersson are 14th and 19th respectively on five under and four under, but Essex's Paul Curry slipped to 39th with a level-par 72.
At the Californian qualifying tournament, Rochdale-born Ed Fryatt is one behind Italian Emanuele Canonica.
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