Germany golfer Alex Cejka fired a five-under-par 67 on Friday to seize a one-stroke lead over American Brandon Hagy after the second round of the $US3 million ($A3.85 million) US PGA Puerto Rico Open.

Cejka stood on seven-under 137 after 36 holes at Trump International with Hagy one back after his own 67 and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo third, two adrift after a 70.

While the world’s top-ranked players compete at the World Golf Championships event this week at Doral in Miami, the US tour’s lesser lights are vying for a $US540,000 ($A695,000) top prize.

Cejka began on the back nine and birdied the par-5 15th and 18th holes, then birdied the par-5 fifth and followed with birdies at the seventh and ninth to close out a bogey-free day.

Cejka, whose most recent of four European Tour wins came at Trophee Lancome in 2002, has never won a US PGA title, notably squandering a five-shot lead entering the final round of the 2009 Players Championship.

Hagy, making only his third PGA start, made five birdies on the front nine and opened and closed the back nine with birdies around bogeys at 14 and the par-3 16th.

Seven players shared fourth on 141, including Australian Rod Pampling and Zimbabwe’s Brendon de Jonge, the top-ranked player in the field at 87th in the world.

Two-time major champion John Daly was among 10 others another stroke off the pace.