Tournament host Tiger Woods took charge at the AT&T National on Friday but Paul Casey crashed out.
With big crowds turning out at Congressional Country Club at the start of the July 4 holiday weekend, Woods followed Thursday's six-under-par 64, his lowest opening round in two years, with a 66 on the par-70, 7,255-yard Blue Course in Bethesda, Maryland.
The five-birdie, one-bogey round took the world number one into an early second-round lead at 10 under par and he held on to it after overnight leader Anthony Kim failed to build on his course record, eight-under 62 in the first round.
The leader, though, was far from happy with his day's work.
"I didn't drive the ball as well as I did yesterday or hit my irons as crisp," Woods said.
"Either I hit it pretty close to the hole, within 10 feet, or I was missing greens. So it was a little bit of two ends today.
"It was nice to actually get a score out of it. I didn't shoot myself in the foot and had a stretch there from basically 17 through three where I didn't really hit the ball all that well but somehow was able to get through it and keep the momentum of the round going."
Kim had got to 10 under after eight holes before three bogeys undermined his good work. A birdie at the 16th, though left him with a level-par 70 to finish two strokes behind Woods in third place, one behind Australia's Rod Pampling, who posted a 64 to move to nine under par.
Kim was happy to have remained in the hunt after surviving a tough round.
"It was a grind, possibly one of the toughest ball-striking days I've had in a long time, even with all my injuries (this year) and I feel good," Kim said.
"I stayed positive and made a couple of key putts to keep me in it so it's not so bad to be third after a rough day."
Jim Furyk shot a 67 to move into fourth place at seven under with Americans Bryce Molder and DA Points both shooting level 70s and Sweden's Daniel Chopra carding a 68 to take a share of fifth place at six under.
US Open champion Lucas Glover followed an opening 69 by matching playing partner Woods with a 66 to take him to five under for the tournament, where newly turned professional Danny Lee of New Zealand was among those joining him following a 67.
England's Casey had seemed set fair to make the halfway cut despite an opening 75 after sinking five birdies on his front nine to get to level for the week.
There was trouble ahead for the world number three, a three-time winner this year, who went into freefall after turning for home, dropping four shots over the next six holes before a birdie at the par-five 16th, only to erase that with a bogey five at the last to finish a 69, four over for the week, and two shots off the cut.
Fellow Englishman Greg Owen also made an early exit after a 72 left him at seven over but Brian Davis squeaked into the weekend on the cut mark at two over and Justin Rose followed an opening 67 with a 71 to fall back to two under.
Scotland's Martin Laird was heading for his first taste of third-round action since May at the Byron Nelson Championship after a 71 left the US-based Glaswegian at one over par with Laird leading the tournament in driving accuracy, finding Congressional's fairways 96.43% of the time over the opening two days.
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