KEY POINTS:
For the third week running, New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell has put himself in position to end a three-year winless drought after he carded a two-under par 70 on day two of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Campbell ended the round in an eight-way share of sixth place, just two strokes behind Austrian Markus Brier who carded a 70 on the Old Course at St Andrews and leads the $US5 million ($NZ7.67 million) event by a stroke on eight under par.
Also joining Campbell on six under par is England's Lee Westwood (70) and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland.
Campbell was out in the second group of the day but, for a second day running, took six hours to play his round in the unique European pro and amateur tournament.
Campbell had a roller coaster start with a par followed by a bogey, birdie, bogey and birdie and then three-straight pars from the sixth hole. He then capped his round at the short par four ninth hole where he smashed a 3-wood 300m to the front of the green and holed the 25-foot eagle putt.
But he followed this with a double bogey after he lost his ball but rebounded with birdies on 11 and 12.
At the par three 11th, Campbell hit his tee shot to 30cm while at the par four 12th hole he found the front of the green with his drive and then chipped to 2m.
Campbell completed his round with seven pars.
"It was just so cold out there and whilst I've faced tougher days on the Old Course, I've never known it to be so cold," Campbell said.
"But my golf today was just about keeping it around par because I knew if I broke par today I would have a good chance to remain high up the leaderboard."
"The Old Course was just playing two to three shots harder than par but once again I've put myself in the hunt for the weekend so that's positive."
In the team event, Campbell and playing partner and Hollwood actor Samuel L. Jackson are at 11-under par and four behind the leading duo of England golfer David Howell and cricket legend Sir Ian Botham who was dressed in plus-fours.
Meanwhile world number four Padraig Harrington responded to pressure from his order of merit rivals. A closing birdie at St Andrews also took the British Open and US PGA champion within two strokes of second-round leader Brier.
In bitterly cold winds, Brier finished on eight-under-par 136 an hour before Harrington sank a seven-foot putt at the last for a one-under 71.
Order of merit leader Harrington was one behind playing partner Robert Karlsson of Sweden (70), who is third on the money list.
Westwood (70), who is second on the money-list, fellow Briton Gary Orr (72) and Campbell were among a cluster of players also on six-under.
Brier (70) said he wore four layers of clothing to combat the elements.
Karlsson was joined in second place by Soren Hansen of Denmark (73), German Martin Kaymer (72) and British teenager Rory McIlroy (69).
McIlroy secured his European Tour card in the 2007 Dunhill Links, only his second professional tournament.
He played at Carnoustie on Friday where last year he won the silver medal for leading British Open amateur.
- NZPA
