World Cup of Golf in Orlando, Florida.

The rise was due to the disqualification of South Korea after one of their players in the two-man team event, Nam-Sin Park, told tournament officials that he signed an incorrect scorecard for the first round.

Despite continued putting woes, Kim Swan fired a four-over-par 76 to match his previous day's score and go to 152, but team-mate Dwayne Pearman dropped a stroke, carding a 79 for a two-round total of 157.

Swan stands joint 43rd individually with three others and leads noted Welshman and former Masters champion Ian Woosnam by a stroke, while Pearman is alone in 53rd.

"For the second day running the putts didn't drop, but I hit the ball solidly apart from that,'' said Swan on completing his round. "My ambition is to shoot 140 over the last two rounds, but it is a very difficult course.

"As far as the team is concerned our realistic target is to finish about 15th if we can.'' Meanwhile, Americans Fred Couples and Davis Love withstood a strong charge from Zimbabweans Nick Price and Mark McNulty to retain their lead.

Love shot a three-under-par 69 and Couples added a 71 for a 277 total that left them one shot in front of the Africans. McNulty posted a 68 while Price matched Love's 69.

Australians Robert Allenby, who shot 68, and Rodger Davis, who carded 70, were three shots behind the Americans.

Scotland, who had shared the lead with South Africa after nine holes yesterday, was five shots off the pace and Ireland was another stroke back.

South Africa, tied for second after the first round, floundered in the incoming nine and were eight strokes adrift, one better than Germany.

France, tied with South Africa when the day began, fell 11 strokes from the lead.

"We're still leading -- that's the main thing,'' Couples said after he and Love each made an eagle to fend off the Zimbabweans, who were strong favourites to dethrone the defending champion Americans.

"We have kind of played in spurts,'' said Love, who bogeyed the second hole and then went four under par on holes nine through 11 with two birdies and an eagle.

Love made a three on the 552-yard 11th afer reaching the green with a three wood and draining a 60-foot putt.

Couples, who made the first double eagle of his life in the first round on the ninth hole, followed Love's eagle with one of his own at the 14th hole.

The long-hitting Couples drove the green on the 309-yard hole -- while the players from Zimbabwe and France were still on the green.

His ball rolled just past Price as he was putting -- and almost went in the hole for another double eagle, and an extremely rare ace on a par-four hole.

"I didn't know they were on the green,'' Couples said later. "I would have never hit if I thought they were still on.'' "Fred almost took us out there,'' Price joked later.

"I was over the ball putting when Fred's ball rolled by,'' added Price, who missed his four-foot birdie putt there after making three birdies in a row.

Price bogeyed the next hole to allow the Americans to take over the lead, but he refused to blame the incident at the 14th for his sudden turn of fortune.

McNulty, who has played many times here with Price, his friend since childhood, played a flawless round, making four birdies and no bogeys.*l