MELBOURNE, Dec 5: Australia’s Robert Allenby battled influenza and stomach cramps to snatch a two-stroke lead in the Australian Masters on Friday with a second

successive round of five-under-par 67.

The world number 18, whose tie with American Davis Love III allowed the Internationals to force a playoff in last month’s drawn Presidents Cup, had six birdies, three bogeys and an eagle on the par-five seventh hole.

Double Australian Masters winner Peter Senior, playing

his first tournament since May, grabbed outright second place at the halfway mark of the tournament on eight-under par 136 after rounds of 67 and 69.

Leading second round scores

134 Robert Allenby 67 67

136 Peter Senior 67 69

138 Nick O’Hern 68 70, Brad Lamb (68 70) 139 Jarrod Moseley 67 72, Peter Lonard 66 73

140 Marcus Fraser 70 70, Peter Fowler 69 71, Adam Scott 71 69, Steve Elkington 72 68, Adam Groom 70 70, Gareth Paddison (New Zealand) 70 70

141 Neil Sarkies 72 69, Jens Nilsson (Sweden) 72 69, Euan Walters 71 70, Rod Pampling 69 72

Other scores: 150 Rich Beem (U.S.) 74 76.

Beem missed the cut by four strokes.

McEvoy leads