Sawt Falasteen - Puig grabs Macau co-lead as LIV's Pereira, Ortiz keep Paris in focus

One of 19 LIV golfers in the Asian Tour event, Spain's Puig had a second-round 64 to go with his opening 65 for an 11-under par total while Kruger is on the same mark after a flawless seven-under 63.

"I guess playing a lot in a row helps just to score better," said Puig, who is playing for a fourth straight week. "So hopefully I can keep doing the same this weekend and take the trophy home."

Kruger said it was his putter that kept him going, and bogey-free.

"I'm making putts, that's as much as I can say," said the South African.

"I'm not really hitting many fairways. But when it's on the green, I'm making them."

Puig and Kruger are one ahead of LIV's Mito Pereira, who is chasing a win that could help propel him to the 2024 Olympics.

Pereira followed his first-round 64 with a 66 to move to 10-under par, in a share of third place with Sweden's Bjorn Hellgren on a packed leaderboard.

The cut fell at four-under-par, leaving the whole field separated by only seven shots going into the weekend.

Pereira is currently 41st on the Olympic Golf Rankings, with the top 60 making it to the Paris Games.

Saudi-bankrolled LIV Golf has invested $300 million in the Asian Tour -- which unlike LIV receives world-ranking points -- leading to the creation of the International Series of 10 enhanced prize money events.

Also in the hunt is Carlos Ortiz, another LIV player, who is two off the leaders as he chases a berth in Paris.

The Mexican won the first Asian Tour International Series event in Oman three weeks ago and had a 66 Friday that took him to nine-under par.

"I'm really happy to be here and also trying to get some ranking points to get into the Olympics and then, maybe, some of the majors," Ortiz told AFP.

"It's the only way to get in, it's the only pathway we have right now and I'm taking advantage of it.

"I have to keep playing well and we don't have any way else to get points. It's just nice these guys letting us play, and you know, I appreciate it."

Also on nine-under alongside Ortiz are Japan's Yuta Sugiura and another LIV player, American Pat Perez, who both had three-under 67s.

Unheralded Swede Hellgren had a second consecutive 65 in the morning.

"Been putting quite well," said the 33-year-old Hellgren, who is yet to win on the Asian Tour.

The first-round leader, Li Haotong of China, had a wild day and finished with a 72 that featured a quadruple bogey eight, two sixes and five birdies as he dropped back to five-under for the tournament.

M.AbuKhalil--SF-PST