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Lake Buena Vista - Roland Thatcher fired a second-round 63 on Friday to seize the lead in the PGA Tour event at Disney World Resort and put himself in position to secure his tour card for next season.
Thatcher's nine-under effort on Disney's Magnolia Course gave him a 16-under total of 128.
He was four strokes clear of overnight leader Chris Stroud and Brian Gay.
Thatcher came into the final tournament of the season ranked 179th on the money list, and admitted he expected to use it as a tune-up for qualifying school.
Instead, he now has a chance to move into the top 125 on the money list, and book his playing privileges without returning to Q-school.
"Obviously, the goal has changed," said Thatcher, who must at least finish in sole possession of second place to get into the top 125.
Even if he tied for second, he'd be some 40,000 dollars short of earning full status.
"Pun intended, I wouldn't mind being referred to as Cinderella for the week," he said.
Instead of slogging through qualifying school, "I'm hoping to have a nice long season and start the year early next year," he said.
Players alternated between the Magnolia and Palm courses for the first two rounds. Magnolia, 500 yards longer and the tougher layout, will be used for both weekend rounds.
Thatcher looked right at home there on Friday, hitting 15 of 18 greens and needing only 23 putts.
He had nine birdies without a bogey, and missed a 17-footer for eagle at the 10th.
"There really wasn't many opportunities for me to make much lower than what I did as far as the round went," Thatcher said. "It was as low as it could go."
Thatcher isn't alone in his battle for a tour card.
Stroud, who led by three shots after the first round, is 119th. He needed only to make the cut to be assured of maintaining full status on the tour.
He scrambled to a second-round 70 for 132, tied with Gay who shot a 65.
"I'm safe now," Stroud said. "To be honest, in my position, I was still quite a bit nervous coming into this week. I told my wife, 'I'm still playing like I'm 135 on the money list.'"
Three others who began the week barely inside the top 125 -- Joe Durant (120), Woody Austin (123) and Michael Allen (124) - missed the cut.
Durant will likely be safe, but Austin and Allen are in danger of slipping out of the top 125.
Leading second-round scores on Friday in the $4.7 million PGA Tour event at Walt Disney World Resort (USA unless noted):
128 - Roland Thatcher 65-63
132 - Chris Stroud 62-70, Brian Gay 67-65
133 - Robert Garrigus 68-65
135 - Mark Wilson 69-66, Brett Quigley 69-66, Jeff Quinney 67-68, Jerry Kelly 66-69, Brett Wetterich 68-67, Johnson Wagner 70-65
136 - Cliff Kresge 70-66, Spencer Levin 68-68, D.J. Trahan 68-68, Rickie Fowler 66-70
137 - Greg Owen (GBR) 69-68, Brenden Pappas (RSA) 66, 71, Brendon de Jonge (ZIM) 72-65, Cameron Percy (AUS) 66-71
138 - Mathew Goggin (AUS) 70-68, John Senden (AUS) 69-69, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) 67-71, David Lutterus (AUS) 68-70
140 - Charlie Wi (KOR) 72-68, Vijay Singh (FIJ) 69-71, Jesper Parnevik (SWE) 74-66, Aron Price (AUS) 69-71
141 - Aaron Baddeley (AUS) 70-71
Failed to qualify
142 - Richard S. Johnson (SWE) 72-70
143 - Matt Jones (AUS) 74-69
144 - Mathias Gronberg (SWE) 71-73, Brian Davis (GBR) 73-71
145 - Garth Mulroy (RSA) 73-72, James Nitties (AUS) 72-73
146 - Daniel Chopra (SWE) 74-72, Henrik Bjornstad (NOR) 72-74, Andrew McLardy (RSA) 73-73
147 - Rod Pampling (AUS) 72-75, Alex Cejka (GER) WD
