Pernice makes his points

David Duval was frustrated at the end of his round

Little-known professional Tom Pernice moved to the front of the field after the second round of the $4 million International tournament in Colorado.

The 41-year-old from Kansas City, with just one win in 10 years on the PGA Tour, scored 12 points under the modified Stableford system that is used at the tournament.

His round included an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys for a four-under-par 68 at Castle Pines.

If I do well at the PGA Championship, that will mean more to me than playing on the Ryder Cup team

  Stewart Cink

"You get a little bit excited at the opportunity to pick up five points," said Pernice, whose eagle came when he chipped in at the par-five 17th.

His halfway total of 24 points is two better than fellow American Stewart Cink and Chris Riley a point further behind.

Open champion David Duval shot a one-under-par 71 to trail the leader by eight points.

"It was very slow and frustrating," Duval said.

Cink, eighth on the American Ryder Cup list with just three qualifying events left, will make the team automatically if he stays in the top 10, but he said that wasn't on his mind.

"I'm not here to try to make the Ryder Cup team. I'm here to try to do my best at the International.

"If I do well at the PGA Championship, that will mean more to me than playing on the Ryder Cup team."

Spaniard Sergio Garcia was on 19 points after finishing in spectacular fashion at his final hole, the par-four ninth.

He pushed his drive into the creek, played a shabby third shot, but then holed out from 39 yards to save par.

I would love for me and Olazabal to finish first and second at the PGA, then we'll both be in the Ryder Cup

  Sergio Garcia

"As soon as I saw it bounce, I thought it was perfect. It went straight in on the second bounce," said Garcia, who has won twice on tour this year.

"I felt something like that deserved to happen because I was playing really well and nothing was happening."

Garcia, 18th on the European Ryder Cup standings, is still hoping to qualify for the team automatically so that Sam Torrance can select someone else as one of his two captain's picks.

Torrance has indicated he will pick Garcia and Swede Jesper Parnevik if they don't qualify, which means Jose Maria Olazabal will miss out if things stay as they are.

"I would love for me and Olazabal to finish first and second at the PGA, then we'll both be in the Ryder Cup," Garcia said.

Olazabal bogeyed his final two holes but the Spaniard was still well placed on 17 points.

The cut fell at seven points.

Leading scores after second round at $4 million International tournament played on the 7559-yard, par-72 Castle Pines course (U.S. unless stated)

Scoring format awards eight points for albatross, five for eagle, two for birdie, zero for par, minus one for bogey, minus three for double bogey or worse.

24 points - Tom Pernice 12 12
22 - Stewart Cink 8 14
21 - Chris Riley 16 5
20 - Ed Fryatt (Britain) 9 11, Chris DiMarco 7 13, Brent Geiberger 12 8, Tim Herron 9 11
19 - Justin Leonard 7 12, Sergio Garcia (Spain) 7 12, Woody Austin 11 8, Charles Howell 11 8
18 - Vijay Singh (Fiji) 9 9, Brad Faxon 8 10
17 - K.J. Choi (South Korea) 10 7, Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 12 5, Kirk Triplett 10 7
16 - David Duval 11 5, Ernie Els (South Africa) 9 7, Lee Janzen 17 -1, Scott McCarron 13 3, Phil Mickelson 11 5

Other foreigners

15 - Mathew Goggin (Australia) 11 4, Paul Gow (Australia) 7 8
14 - Stuart Appleby (Australia) 2 12, Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) 14 0
11 - Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 5 6
10 - Stephen Ames (Trinidad) 3 7, Greg Norman (Australia) 5 5, Jean Van de Velde (France) 8 2, Glen Hnatiuk (Canada) -1 11
7 - Steve Elkington (Australia) 1 6, Craig Parry (Australia) 1 6

The following foreigners missed cut

6 - Stephen Allan (Australia) 3 3, Jose Coceres (Argentina) 10 -4
5 - Craig Perks (New Zealand) -1 6
4 - Greg Chalmers (Australia) 4 0
2 - Ben Ferguson (Australia) 3 -1
1 - David Smail (New Zealand) 2 -1
0 - Jeev Milka Singh (India) -3 3
-2 - Emanuele Canonica (Italy) -1 -1, Brad Hughes (Australia) 1 -3, David Morland (Canada) 3 -5, Grant Waite (New Zealand) 2 -4
-3 - Eduardo Romero (Argentina) -1 -2
-8 - Frank Nobilo (New Zealand) -5 -3, Esteban Toledo (Mexico) -4 -4