Atwal, whose two-year exemption following the win at Wyndham Championship in 2010 runs out at the end of this year, is at 175 on the Money List. He is staring at the prospect of missing out the card for next year unless he wins or finishes in top-two this week.
Close on Atwal's heels was the American Ryder Cup captain, Davis Love III. Atwal was at 10-under 130, and Love was one behind.
After a three-under first round, he opened the second round at the Sea Island Golf Club with three straight birdies and took the outright lead with a wedge into five feet on the fifth hole, his 14th of the round.
"It feels great. I don't even know how many (birdie) I made. I figured I'd count them up at the end of the round. I'm in a desperate situation. I got no choice to either win or finish in the top two I think my caddie figured out. So I just gotta grind out," said Atwal.
"After those missed cuts at the start of the year, I made a lot of cuts, too, in the middle of the year. Just didn't have any decent finishes in any of the tournaments. So I just have to get a decent weekend in and see what happens."
Reflecting on his round, he said, "It was solid today. Started with three in a row, and then yeah, just kept going. I felt really calm out there, and putter is starting to work. That was the missing link in the last few tournaments that I played. Not last week, but before the FedExCup." MORE
