Mexican duo Carlos Ortiz and Abraham Ancer relished battling brutal breezes to share the second-round lead with England's Sam Horsfield at LIV Golf's Adelaide tournament.
Ortiz, Ancer and Horsfield are nine under, three strokes clear of the field, after a testing Saturday at a blustery Grange Golf Club.
Lucas Herbert is the best-placed Australian at three under.
But the chance of the all Australian Ripper GC team - Cam Smith, Herbert, Marc Leishman and Matt Jones - successfully defending their Adelaide team title are remote.
At a combined one under, the Australians are nine strokes shy of the pacestting Majesticks GC captained by England's Ian Poulter.
Herbert fought hard for a two-under 70 on Saturday while compatriots Leishman (one under), Smith (one over) and Jones (two over) are off the pace.
Smith's second round, a one-over 73, was marred by three bogeys.
In contrast, Ortiz and Ancer tamed the tricky winds at seaside Grange.
Ancer, who won the 2018 Australian Open in Sydney, logged the day's low round with a superb five-under 67.
"It has been a battle," the 33-year-old said.
"But it's awesome. I love this kind of golf. Seeing the conditions like this is exciting. It's tough but it's really good for me."
Ortiz, who has banked consecutive four-under 68s, also found fun in the flukey winds on a Saturday when only 22 of the 54 golfers broke par.
"It was a difficult day, really windy, so I was just trying to put it in play," he said.
"It's just a fun golf course when the wind is blowing this way ... you really have to be respectful of the golf course, almost play a little bit defensive."
England's overnight leader Horsfield shares top billing after following his opening round 66 with a 69.
"It was playing brutal out there," he said. "It was a real tough test."
Chile's Joaquin Niemann holds second spot at six under and former world No.1 Jon Rahm is within striking distance at five under after shooting a three-under 69 on Saturday.
Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, Swede Henrick Stenson and Indian Anirban Lahiri are a further shot back.
Major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson slipped after logging promising four-under opening rounds.
Reigning US Open champion DeChambeau made four birdies but also five bogeys in his one-over 73. At one stage, he climbed onto the balcony of a house adjoining the course to gain a vantage point after hitting into the bushes.
Johnson (two over) signed for a horror six-over 78 which included two double-bogeys and four bogeys.
He and fellow major winners Bubba Watson (two under), Phil Mickleson (two over) and Sergio Garcia (one over) all appear out of contention for the $US4 million winner's cheque.
