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NAPLES (Florida) - SCOTT Hoch and Kenny Perry came out firing to seize the lead on Saturday in the second round of golf's Merrill Lynch Shootout.
Hoch and Perry combined for a blistering 12-under-par 60 to take a four-shot lead over US Ryder Cup heroes Boo Weekley and JB Holmes at the 2.9 million-dollar (S$4.32 million) unofficial event.
Hoch and Perry had a 19-under total of 125 while Weekley and Holmes were on 15-under after a 62 in the second round.
Zimbabwe's Nick Price and Jeff Sluman were another stroke back after a 66.
Hoch and Perry's better-ball round at the 7,288-yard Tiburon Golf Club was low but not unprecedented.
The best second-round score in Shootout history is a 57 by Fred Couples and Raymond Floyd in 1990 and matched by Craig Stadler and Lanny Wadkins in 1996.
Defending champions Woody Austin and Mark Calcavecchia are at even-par 144 heading into Sunday's final round.
Only two teams in the history of the event, founded by Australian Greg Norman, have successfully defended their title - Brad Faxon and Scott McCarron in 2001 and Hank Kuehne and Sluman in 2004.
Norman and Colombian Camilo Villegas were tied for fifth at 10-under The 54-hole event pays 350,000 dollars to each member of the winning pair.
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