Santo Domingo - American Brice Garnett, seeking his first US PGA Tour title, fired a four-under par 68 to hold a one-stroke lead after Friday's second round of the Corales Championship.
The first US PGA event staged in the Dominican Republic featured a host of lesser lights fighting for a title while the world's top players competed at the World Golf Championships Match-Play event in Texas.
Garnett birdied the par-4 third and par-5 fourth holes, holing out from a bunker at the latter, and added birdies at the sixth and par-5 seventh then closed with 11 pars to stand on 13-under 131 after 36 holes.
Americans Steve Wheatcroft and Keith Mitchell shared second on 132, each after firing his second consecutive 66 on the Puntacana resort course.
China's Zhang Xinjun and American Seungsu Han shared fourth on 134. Ireland's Seamus Power and Canada's Corey Conners were among those in a pack on 135.
Retired NFL quarterback Tony Romo, playing on a sponsor's exemption, opened with six bogeys in a row and fired an 82 to finish last in the field of 132 on 15-over 159.
Scores after Friday's second round of the US PGA Tour Corales Championship in the Dominican Republic (USA unless noted, par-72):
131 - Brice Garnett 63-68
132 - Steve Wheatcroft 66-66, Keith Mitchell 66-66
134 - Zhang Xinjun (CHN) 66-68, Seungsu Han 67-67
135 - Hunter Mahan 70-65, Matt Every 69-66, Corey Conners (CAN) 64-71, Denny McCarthy 66-69, Seamus Power (IRL) 68-67
136 - Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 69-67, Matt Atkins 69-67
137 - David Lingmerth (SWE) 70-67, Tom Lovelady 69-68, Joel Dahmen 71-66, Lanto Griffin 69-68, Kelly Kraft 68-69, Tyler McCumber 67-70, Ethan Tracy 68-69, Paul Dunne (IRL) 67-70