Golf: Aussies share lead at halfway mark

BRISBANE - A course record by Robert Allenby was not enough to shake fellow Australian golfer Steve Conran, who took a share of the Australian PGA championship lead at the halfway mark in Brisbane yesterday.

Allenby exploited near-perfect conditions to post a record eight-under 64 before the afternoon players headed out into a stiffening easterly wind.

Conran's 65 came in conditions which Greg Norman described as "very tough."

Conran and Allenby were five shots clear of the field at 11-under 133.

Overnight leader American Chris Riley had a 72 yesterday to share second place on 138 with Australian Peter Lonard, who had a 69.

A shot further back were Australians Greg Norman, Andre Stoltz, Scott Laycock and Scott Gardiner.

Aucklander Marcus Wheelhouse slipped from his overnight second-equal to a tie for eighth on 140, seven shots behind the leaders.

Of the six other New Zealanders, only Steve Alker and Richard Lee qualified for the weekend.

Alker shot his second even-par 72 for 144 while Lee dropped from three-under overnight to two-over with a 77 for a total of 146.

Matthew Lane (76 yesterday, six-over), Paul Devenport (74, seven-over), Carl Brooking (75, eight-over) and Elliot Boult (76, 11-over) all missed the cut.

The day got off to a dramatic start when leading Australian Craig Parry disqualified himself after inadvertently signing for a round of 69 on Thursday when he shot 70.

"It's the first time it's ever happened to me," said Parry, whose card was marked by Norman.

Norman, who hauled himself back into the tournament with a 66 yesterday, said he "felt bad" about the error.

"I wrote the score down," Norman said.

"You don't feel great about it.

"I said to him [Parry] I felt it was my fault, but he said it wasn't, because ultimately it was his responsibility to check his card."

Conran, based in Japan for half the year, started the second round with three birdies and an eagle from the bunker to be five-under through five holes. Allenby, who like Conran began the day off the 10th tee, extracted eight birdies and an eagle from the course, slipping up only once when he bogeyed the 11th hole, his second.

Allenby, who finally broke through for two wins on the US PGA Tour this season, got his score to 10-under after 13 holes but said playing the final holes with the wind picking up was difficult.

Australian Open champion Aaron Baddeley, who enjoyed the fine conditions on Thursday to shoot 68, found the going more difficult, finishing with a 73.

Former British Open champion Ian Baker-Finch, now a commentator for ABC-TV in the United States, shot a second-round 72 in his first tournament in three years.

But he missed the cut after shooting 77 on Thursday.