Romero holding on

Overnight pacesetter Eduardo Romero lost the lead, then regained it with three birdies in five holes on the second day of the 5million US Dollar Dunhill Links Championship on Friday.

Playing at Kingsbarns, one of the three courses being used for the event, Romero began with two pars and saw Nic Lawrence of South Africa and Jyoti Randhawa of India continue their surprising form to move past him.

But birdies at the 12th, 14th and 16th swept the Argentinian, winner of the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond in July, back to the top.

He was 10 under par for 25 holes, one clear of Randhawa – the Indian pro who was out of the game for six months this year after a motorbike accident – who birdied the 1st, 5th and 7th at St Andrews to keep in touch at the top of the leaderboard.

Two of Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes, Padraig Harrington and Thomas Bjorn, were also very much in the hunt.

Harrington, also playing at Kingsbarns, birdied the same three holes as Romero did but dropped a shot at the 17th to fall back to a share of third place with Lawrence, Sandy Lyle and Mikael Lundberg of Sweden.

Lawrence, 21, began first of the contenders and took the outright lead with birdies at the 12th and 15th holes after starting his second round at the 10th at Kingsbarns.

He bogeyed the 18th but birdied the second to remain at eight under par with four holes of his round remaining.

Lyle surged up the board with four successive birdies from the 11th after beginning on the back nine at Kingsbarns, the former Open champion then picking up another birdie on the 16th.

Lundberg began with a bogey at the first at Carnoustie but four birdies in the next 10 holes moved him up the leaderboard.

Bjorn remained static with a birdie and a bogey through his first six holes at Kingsbarns. Phillip Price of Wales, the winner over Phil Mickelson in his Ryder Cup singles on Sunday, joined him on the five under mark.

The professionals play one round on each of the three courses over the first three days before the final on Sunday on the Old Course.

The two South Africans heading the hunt for the Order of Merit title, Retief Goosen and Ernie Els, both had work to do Friday to get into the chase for the £500,000 first prize at this event.

Goosen, who won last year’s Order of Merit, reached four under with two early birdies while Els was one under.

That boosted Goosen’s advantage over Els, who does not plan to play in any more counting events this season. Both were at Kingsbarns on Friday.

Latest leading positions in second round of Dunhill Links Championship, St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, Scotland.

(Gbr&Irl unless stated, all Par 72)

9 under - Eduardo Romero (Arg) (after 31 holes) Kingsbarns

Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) (28) St Andrews

Mikael Lundberg (Swe) (31) Carnoustie

8 under – Nic Lawrence (Rsa) (33) Kingsbarns

Padraig Harrington (28) Kingsbarns

Sandy Lyle (27) Kingsbarns

7 under – Santiago Luna (Spa) (31) Kingsbarns

6 under – Simon Dyson (33) Carnoustie

Phillip Price (29) Carnoustie

Miles Tunnlicliff (27) Carnoustie

Thomas Bjorn (Den) (26) Kingsbarns