USPGA TOUR: Padraig Harrington shot a superb round of 65 yesterday, seven under par, to be just one shot off the early second-round lead in the Bell South Classic at Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia.

The Irishman set himself up for the US Masters next week with one of the best rounds on the day. He carded eagle threes at both the sixth and 18th holes, and took further shots from the course with birdies at the second, fifth, seventh and 11th. His one disappointment was a bogey at the eighth.

On a course which rewards risk-taking, Harrington took full advantage. His round of 65 was only two above the course record of 63 shared by Tiger Woods (1998) and Duffy Waldorf (1999).

Harrington's first-round 69 had left him five shots off the leading mark of 64 set by Australian Steve Elkington, and Elkington's round of 69 yesterday left him in the lead on 133 with American Phil Mickelson.

Elkington had amassed a fine tally of 10 birdies on Thursday, but shot only four yesterday and gave a shot back to the course with a bogey on the 16th.

The Australian, who did not qualify for next week's Masters, had led a 10-birdie barrage on the course on Thursday. He overcame a double-bogey on the third hole with a remarkable seven birdies on the front nine.

He started a string of four straight birdies on the fourth and reached the turn at five-under 31 before adding three more on the back.

"I think if you were to prepare for The Masters, this would be a good place to prepare," Elkington said. "It's a real driver's course. You can really drive the ball here and there are plenty of holes out here where you have to hit very precise iron shots."

Mickelson is playing in the Masters and the course, with its wide fairwarys and long yardage, seems perfectly set up to give him a lift.

The American, trying to recover from an embarrasing slip up in the Players Championship, shot 68 yesterday. He had six birdies, but faltered late in his round with bogeys at the 15th and the 17th.

South African Retief Goosen matched Harrington in two ways on the day. He shot two eagles - taming the sixth in the same way as the Irishman, and taking only two shots on the par-four 13th - and ended up with the same aggregate score of 133 as Harrington.

The stand-out round, at one shot better than Harrington, came from New Zealander Phil Tataurangi, who shot 64. The 31-year-old, who is trying to make the most of a non-exempt major medical extension because of a lingering neck injury, had eight birdies and not a single bogey in a round of 64, leaving him just one shot behind Harrington.

He shares the position with Sweden's Jesper Parnevik, who shot 69 yesterday.