First-round leader Aberg fought to a three-over 75 on Thursday (Friday AEDT), while Griffin had a 72 - both on the South Course - to sit even with Aberg at six under 138.
Danny Walker was five under, while Chris Gotterup had a 69 to match the day's best round and join Hayden Springer and Sungjae Im at four under.
Jason Day was the leading Australian, following up his opening 74 with a three-under 69 in the second round that featured five birdies and two bogeys.
Day was one under after the second round, in a tie for 26th place.
The players battled strong, inconsistent wind gusts of more than 35 miles an hour (about 60km/h) on the famed coastal course better known for foggy marine layers than disruptive weather.Â
Some gusts moved stationary balls and ripped hats off heads before marshals suspended play.
Fighting the elements to make the cut �— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) A birdie on the last puts Mac Meissner on the number @FarmersInsOpen.#CutCam pic.twitter.com/SvTCRefjHDJanuary 24, 2025
"Throw the score out the window," said Griffin, who earned his PGA Tour card at Q-school last month.Â
"(On) a normal day, 72 is good on this golf course, and today was just a head-down grind.Â
"Walking to (the 13th) tee, it started gusting 35 miles an hour, probably, so there are certain shots like the 13th tee that were just brutal, (or the) ninth tee blowing straight off the left. It was kind of hang on for dear life, try and save pars on the majority of the holes and sprinkle in a birdie or two."
The delay began just after 2pm and lasted until 3.31pm (local time), forcing players to play quickly in barely diminished wind for a shot at finishing their rounds.
The North Course is more exposed to the ocean, so the wind was particularly brutal on players such as world No. 4 Hideki Matsuyama, who could only watch in disgust while his well-considered putts went nowhere near their intended destination. Matsuyama still managed a 75 and made the cut at one under.
In the opening round, the scores on the easier North Course (70.2) were significantly better than on the South Course (72.5). Thanks to the wind, the South Course (75.3) actually played easier than the North (75.6) on the second day.
"It was extremely difficult," said Eric Cole, who was three off the lead after managing to finish his second-round 71 moments before the stoppage.Â
"It started really blowing on like our second or third hole, so we had a solid six holes of really heavy winds. Then it almost died down and switched directions for a few holes. Very tricky and very unique. I know it can blow here a little, but it just seemed like extra gusty and (was) kind of switching directions for a little, so it made it tough."
Nobody had a bogey-free round while battling the wind that blew clouds of dirt and sand into the Pacific Ocean all afternoon.
Max Homa, the 2023 champion of this event, withdrew during the stoppage with just three holes left to play, citing illness late in his second straight dismal round.
