Parry Feel so Good Now

John Parry, a team-mate of Rory McIlroy at the 2007 Walker Cup, led the Dunhill Links Championship by four at halfway after a brilliant 65.

"It's nice to be here and I've holed putts from everywhere," said Parry, who from struggling to keep his card is now on course for a massive first prize of over £502,000.

His Vivendi Trophy victory in Paris was worth almost £170,000 and he celebrated that by buying himself a car - not a Lamborghini, Ferrari or Porsche, but a Vauxhall Astra.

Parry turned pro three years ago like McIlroy, but while the Irish wonder boy was an instant hit he failed to come through the qualifying school and had to go away to the "third division" EuroPro Tour.

From that he earned a place on the Challenge Tour and, thanks to a closing 63 for a win in this same week last year, he graduated from that to the main circuit.

Sweden's Martin Erlandsson, yet to win on Tour, is in second place after a 68 in equally tough wet, windy, cold and murky conditions at Carnoustie, the hardest of the three courses used for the celebrity pro-am.

Three players are a further stroke back - big-hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and Ryder Cup pair Ross Fisher and Martin Kaymer.

They were all at St Andrews, Fisher having a 68 and both Quiros and Kaymer 69s.

Fisher said: "When we saw the forecast it seemed like this was probably the best of the three courses to be at, but that was about as brutal as I've ever seen the back nine play.

"I wouldn't have come here if I didn't feel like my game was ready to win. Obviously the celebrations were pretty good, but I wouldn't say I feel tired."

Monday's match-winning hero Graeme McDowell, playing with his father Kenny, also shot 68 to move up to sixth place on six under, while Padraig Harrington, cup vice-captain Thomas Bjorn and defending champion Simon Dyson are all five under.

Lee Westwood was bothered again by his injured calf and with a 72 is now 10 back. He requires a top-two finish to grab the world number one spot off Tiger Woods and is just outside the top 30.

But his two-under aggregate was still three better than that of McIlroy, who drove into gorse and double-bogeyed the sixth en route to a 74.

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