Golf: Parry's slump benefits Faldo

NICK FALDO profited from an alarming decline by the overnight leader, Craig Parry, to move to the head of the leaderboard yesterday after the second round of the Johnnie Walker World Championship.

'I played well today but I feel like I could have done better,' said Faldo, who was displeased with his putting during a level-par 70 that balanced three birdies and three bogeys. The Open champion's 36- hole total of 141, one-over-par, ultimately gave him a one-shot advantage over his American counterpart, Tom Kite, who shot 69, and Greg Norman, who carded his second successive 71. Mark Roe of Britain, whose opening 71 tied him for second, posted a 72 which dropped him back to fourth.

Parry, whose opening 68 had left him three clear of the field, moved to three-under after four holes but then staggered in with six bogeys and a double bogey. 'The course won today,' the Australian said after slipping four strokes off the pace.

Even in fair weather, the 6,920- yard Tryall Golf Club course, with its long rough and daunting par, is a tough proposition, but in unrelenting winds a quality field was made to look somewhat mediocre, so much so that only three players beat par. Kite, who won the US Open at Pebble Beach in similarly gusty conditions in June, went out in two over par then recorded three birdies on the inward nine. Fred Couples, the defending champion, matched Kite's 69 while South Africa's David Frost, whose 83 was the worst score of the first round, surged back with a 67.

No one suffered more than Seve Ballesteros, who went out in three over par, took 10 on the par-four 10th and then an eight on the par- five 14th. He finished with an 82 to bring up the rear on 158, one behind the American, Brad Faxon, who went 12-over-par in four consecutive holes on Thursday and went seven over par over the first five holes before a recovery enabled him to card a 75.

JOHNNIE WALKER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (Montego Bay, Jam): Second round scores: 141 N Faldo (GB) 71 70; 142 T Kite (US) 73 69, G Norman (Aus) 71 71; 143 Mark Roe (GB) 71 72; 144 R Floyd (US) 73 71, P O'Malley (Aus) 71 73, I Woosnam (GB) 73 71; 145 C Parry (Aus) 68 77; 146 F Couples (US) 77 69, D Edwards (US) 73 73; 147 D Love (US) 72 75, S Lyle (GB) 76 71; 148 T Johnstone (Zim) 75 73; 150 D Frost (SA) 83 67, C Montgomerie (GB) 74 76, I Palmer (SA) 75 75, C Pavin (US) 77 73; 151 P Azinger (US) 75 76, A Forsbrand (Swe) 75 76, C O'Connor Jr (GB) 79 72, M O'Meara (US) 75 76; 153 R Allenby (Aus) 80 73, B Lane (GB) 76 77, B Langer (Ger) 77 76; 155 S Elkington (Aus) 80 75; 157 B Faxon (US) 82 75; J Sluman (US) 81 76. 158 S Ballesteros (Sp) 76 82.