DAVID DUVAL, in search of a place on the American Ryder Cup team, shot a second successive six under par 66 to take the lead after the second round at the 51.5 million BellSouth Atlanta Classic yesterday.

Duval made an ideal start with an eagle at his first hole, the par five 10th, where he pitched in with a sand wedge from 50 yards. He posted a 12 under 132 halfway total in a testing breeze at the new Sugarloaf course to lead Nick Price, who had a 67, by one stroke.

First round leader Don Pooley (70) was two shots behind while Charlie Rymer (67) eagled his final hole from 152 yards to trail by four strokes.

Course designer Greg Norman (67) struggled on the greens, but still picked up six birdies to move within five strokes of the lead.

Duval, 25, who has finished second six times without winning on the USPGA Tour, was happy with all facets of his game. "When you shoot good scores, it's because everything's working,"he said.

"It's all going pretty good right now. I haven't driven the ball particularly well this year, but the last couple of weeks I've gone back to cutting the ball. It's a nice feeling when you can eliminate a part of the course - for me the left side."

Duval is 13th in the US Ryder Cup standings and is in with a good chance of making the 12 man team to challenge Europe at Valderamma in September.

Zimbabwean Price, meanwhile, moved into position for his second USPGA Tour victory this season after winning the MCI Heritage Classic three weeks ago in his most recent start.

"I was very happy with the way I played. I drove the ball well, putted very solidly," said Price.

Eighty one players made the cut at even par 144. Among those to miss it was Hale Irwin, who has dominated the Seniors Tour this year, but struggled to a seven over 151.