Marriage clearly agrees with South African golf star Ernie Els.

Another victory - his second in three weeks and 27th as a professional - looks to be heading the 29-year-old's way, even though the Heineken Classic in Perth is only at the halfway stage.

Els, married on New Year's Eve, said after charging into a four-stroke lead by adding a 66 to his opening 65: "If I knew it was going to be this good, I would have done it years ago.

"I'm happy, feeling good and on the course, I'm not thinking about anything too much, which is good for me."

In the blustery conditions, defending champion Thomas Bjorn was the only man to match Els' round, but having started with a 73, the Dane still lies only joint ninth.

Padraig Harrington, who set the course record of 63 two years ago and was joint third with Els 12 months ago, birdied the last two holes to survive exactly on the cut of 144, par for the two rounds. He said he had thought shooting one over par for the two rounds would be enough to survive, and that going into the final two holes one birdie would do. "But at 17 I hit it to a foot and at 18 to two foot for birdies, so that was a great way to finish."

John McHenry was two shots further back. "My game is definitely getting better but unfortunately I'm going to miss the cut which is no consolation," he said. He will be in Kuala Lumpur next week for the Malaysian Open.

Sharing second place on nine under par are first-day leader Jarmo Sandelin and Australian Peter Lonard, but England's Roger Winchester, who marked his return to the European tour with a 65, fell back alongside Bjorn by shooting 74.

Ian Woosnam, winner in 1996 and runner-up to Bjorn last year (when Els was third), missed the cut after slumping to a 78 and upset tournament director Tony Roosenburg by leaving straightaway.

Els took control with five birdies in six holes around the turn - immediately after Sandelin, playing just ahead of him, had holed a five-iron approach for an eagle two on the sixth.

The icing on the cake came when he boomed an immense 370-yard drive at the downwind par five last. It left him a wedge to the green, and although he pushed it 40 feet wide of the flag, he twoputted from there for his 14th birdie in 36 holes.