The Australian followed his opening 72 with a 4-under 66 on Friday to move to tied fifth at the Firestone Country Club.
He had one birdie on the back nine - where he started - and brought it home in 32, which included back-to-back bogeys.
Pampling's two-under 138 leaves him five behind outright leader Harrison Frazar, who enjoys a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink.
The 51-year-old Frazar has had one PGA Tour victory in 409 career starts - the 2011 FedEx St. Jude Classic, and has yet to win on the over-50 tour.
"As far as remembering how to win, no, it's been a long time," Frazar said. "Golf is a rhythm, golf is a balance. Just try to do everything the same and just try to do the best I can and see where they add up."
Frazar made three birdies in his first six holes and held on from there, making two bogeys and one more birdie on the par-4 13th.
"A couple of short shots that landed pin-high and kind of bounced long, chipped in one of those. I just kind of hung in, just tried to keep fighting and tried to get the ball up and down realising that this is a - it's a hard golf course," Frazar said.
Cink, who trailed Frazar and Steve Stricker by one after the opening round, also shot 68. Stricker, who won the first two PGA Tour Champions majors of the year, shot 73 to fall five shots behind.
Ernie Els (67) was two shots back and KJ Choi (66) was alone in fourth, three shots off the lead.
Bernhard Langer, the 65-year-old who won the US Senior Open two weeks ago to break the PGA Tour Champions career victory record, was six shots back after a 68.
Australian Mark Hensby enjoyed a surge, equalling Pampling and Choi's 66 for the best round of the day.
Hensby moved to tied 13th and is even par for the tournament after improving on his opening round by eight shots.
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