Italy's Edoardo Molinari led the race for the prestigious amateur medal after carding a second successive 70 in the Open second round on Friday. The 24-year-old engineering student mixed four birdies with two bogeys to finish on four-under 140.
Britons Eric Ramsay, after scores of 68 and 74, Matthew Richardson (75 and 69) and Lloyd Saltman (73 and 71) also made the cut for the weekend.
"I am very happy and excited. I've been playing well," said Molinari.
Scots Eric Ramsay and Lloyd Saltman are ready to battle it out for the silver medal after making the cut.
Ramsay, 25, finished late on Friday evening with a two-under par total of 142 following a round of 74.
He said: "My aim was to make the cut and I am delighted to have done so.
"I was a wee bit nervous on the first tee but it wasn't too bad. I knew I had a lot of friends in the gallery."
Saltman came to grief down the stretch for the second successive day but still finished level for the first two rounds.
He bogeyed 15, 16 and 17 but it could have been a lot worse.
He played two provisional balls after finding the rough with his drive at the road hole.
Luckily for Saltman, his caddie Mark Crane found the original ball. "I will buy him about 10 drinks, " he said.
England's European amateur champion Matthew Richardson, 19, was an early starter and reeled off a three-under 69 to reach level-par.
But Ireland's Brian McElhinney and England's Robert Steele both missed the cut.
MMIX
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