Golf: Display of mirror-image leadership by Faldo and Parnevik

Nick Faldo and Jesper Parnevik stayed neck-and-neck at the front of the Johnnie Walker Super Tour after the second round in Bangkok yesterday.

Both scored 67 in the first round in Jakarta, and followed up with one- under-par 71s. The pair opened up a two-stroke lead over the South African, Ernie Els, who also hit a 71 after treatment on a bad neck and is one stroke ahead of the Filipino, Felix Casas. The second round was hard going, though, for Ian Woosnam, who hit a 74.

It was tough at times for everyone. Faldo had three bogeys but saved his round with four birdies, and said: "I played well and had plenty of chances but I found the greens very difficult."

Parnevik had a bogey on the 10th and a double-bogey on the 11th and described the course as "very long and very tough".

Today, the tour moves to Boracay in the Philippines for the third round, and finishes on Sunday in Taiwan.

JOHNNIE WALKER SUPER TOUR (Bangkok) Second round: 138 N Faldo (GB) 67 71; J Parnevik (Swe) 67 71. 140 E Els (SA) 69 71. 141 F Casas (Phil) 70 71. 142 B Ruangkit (Thai) 72 70. 144 I Woosnam (GB) 70 74. 154 H Chia- yuh (Taiw) 77 77. 161 M Nasim (Indon) 74 87.

Colin Montgomerie has been given honorary life membership of the European Tour in recognition of his five successive Order of Merit titles. Alison Nicholas, the US Women's Open champion, has been awarded the 1997 Golf Writers' Trophy, beating the Europe Ryder Cup side by two votes, with Montgomerie, last year's winner, in third place.