Harrington leads with second 66

Ireland's Padraig Harrington moved into contention for his first win of the year Friday, firing a second successive round of six-under-par 66 to take a one-shot lead in the Dunhill Links Championship.

The world number nine, a member of Europe's triumphant Ryder Cup team at The Belfry last week, birdied his last two holes to finish a wet and breezy day on the Fife coastline at 12-under 132 after two rounds.

Overnight leader Eduardo Romero of Argentina followed his opening 65 with a 68 -- also at Kingsbarns -- to lie one stroke back in second place, while Sweden's Mikael Lundberg was alone in third at 10-under 134 after a second 67 in a row.

"Every season, I always play better at the start of the year and the end of the year -- I'm always much more focused for those two periods," said Harrington, who has produced seven top-10 finishes on the European Tour this season.

"At the end of the year, you can see your goals and you're trying to make the last effort to get across the finishing line. But I work on the principle that the wins will come eventually -- don't press it.

"I've had a good mental attitude this week and I'm hitting the important shots well."

Romero said he was looking forward to playing his last two rounds at St. Andrews, which he described as his favorite course in the world.

"I can't wait for tomorrow because I love playing there," said the 48-year-old from Cordoba.

"My game is very good at the moment. I'm very confident, very relaxed and very happy."

The 29-year-old Lundberg, who is yet to win on the European Tour, was delighted with his performance after reeling off birdies on five of the last nine holes.

"I was very pleased with today," said the Swede, who has missed 12 cuts on this year's European Tour.

"Before this week I felt I had been putting the worst I had been all season and I knew I had to change something.

"I just changed my grip on my putter, turned my hands round -- a bit more like the way I used to putt when I was an amateur -- and it has been working well.

"Conditions were tough today and I was just happy to get round with a good score."

India's Jyoti Randhawa, who returned to competitive golf only a month ago after breaking his collar bone in a motorcycle accident in March, returned a 69 at St. Andrews to tie for fourth at nine under with Thomas Bjorn (68).

Twice major winner Sandy Lyle improved on his first-day 69 with a 67 at Kingsbarns to share sixth place with South African Nic Lawrence (70) and Spaniards Santiago Luna (69) and Ignacio Garrido (66) at eight under.

Among the bigger names in the field, 2001 U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen and 2000 U.S. Masters winner Vijay Singh both fired second-round 67s to tie for 10th alongside Welsh Ryder Cup player Phillip Price (68) at seven under.

British Open champion Ernie Els carded a 67 to climb into a share of 15th at five-under 139 with seven-times European number one Colin Montgomerie, who recorded a rare albatross-two at Kingsbarns' 516-yard third hole on his way to a 69.

A total of 168 teams, featuring one professional and one amateur, will play one round each over the Old Course at St. Andrews, the championship course at Carnoustie and Kingsbarn Golf Links in this week's event.

After three rounds, the field is cut to the leading 60 professionals and ties and the 20 leading teams, who will play the last 18 holes at St. Andrews Sunday.

The line-up of celebrities taking part includes such as Steve Redgrave, Nigel Mansell, Ruud Gullit, Ian Botham, Johan Cruyff, Bobby Charlton, Kenny Dalglish, Gavin Hastings, Michael Lynagh and Gary Lineker.

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