French Open: James Heath, from Surrey in England, outshone all of his more experienced counterparts to take a three-shot lead after the second round of the St Omer Open in northern France yesterday.

The 22-year-old - mentored and managed by six-time major winner Nick Faldo - carded a flawless round of 66 to race to the top of the leaderboard and stay there all day.

Shooting the best score of the week so far catapulted Heath from joint 16th into the outright lead as Thursday's seven joint leaders failed to capitalise on their good starts.

In fact, none could maintain their positions and England's Shaun Webster - winner on this course in 1998 when the St Omer Open was a third-tier event - and Sweden's Pelle Edberg are his nearest challengers on three under. Webster shot a 68 to move into contention while Edberg would have been closer to Heath but for a disastrous quadruple-bogey eight on the 16th.

Best of the Irish is Stephen Browne, who maintained his challenge by adding a one-under-par 71 to his level-par first round. The Hermitage player is joint fifth at the halfway stage - five shots behind the leader.

A second-round 69 by David Higgins meant the Irishman also made the cut, but Michael Hoey, Tim Rice and Colm Moriarty all missed out.

Heath was one shot off the pace when he teed off yesterday morning, but an outward nine of 33, which included birdies at the par-three second, 324-yard fifth and par-five ninth, lifted him above the clutch of leading players, all late starters.

Another birdie at the 10th took him to five under and into a two-shot lead and a three at the 417-yard 16th took him to six under. His score would have been better, but a 15-foot birdie putt at the last brushed the hole.

Heath has been relying on invitations to play on the European Tour this season, but as this is a co-sanctioned event with the Challenge Tour he did not have to use up one of his three remaining invites.

He has, by his own admission, struggled to put a string of scores together in the four European Tour events he has played in - highlighted at the Celtic Manor Wales Open earlier this month when he shot two sub-60 rounds before fading badly over the weekend.

But Heath hopes this week will see a change in fortunes, which could bring a one-year exemption should he win over this undulating and often windswept course.

"It is nice to play good golf again, to be honest. It would be nice to put four good rounds together, but I know it is going to happen eventually," he said last night. "It is not like it is never going to happen, but it is a matter of whether it happens now or in a few months' time, so I'll try my best and see what occurs.

"I played nicely today, I have to say. I gave myself a lot of chances and holed a few of them. It is always nice not to drop shots. The wind is blowing, it is quite a tricky golf course and it is tough in places where you are into the wind, but it was just a good solid round.

"I made a couple of good up and downs when I needed to and the last couple of holes I played really well and it could have been a bit more, but I suppose everyone will say that."

Frenchman Jean van de Velde, who is famous for throwing away the 1999 Open at Carnoustie on the last hole and is playing on invitations, finished on level par - good enough for a share of 19th - to make his fifth cut in eight events on both tours this year.

Another Wentworth resident, Lewis Atkinson - who is currently house-sitting for Denmark's Thomas Bjorn - holed the 195-yard 17th with a six iron to win a car, but missed the cut at seven over.

Second Round Scores

(Brit unless stated, Irish in bold)

136 - J Heath 70 66.

139 - P Edberg (Swe) 70 69, SP Webster 71 68.

140 - R Fisher 70 70, J Hepworth 69 71.

141 - S Browne 71 70, S Delagrange (Fra) 70 71, D Dupart (Fra) 71 70, K Storgaard (Den) 72 69, M Carballo (Arg) 72 69, I Giner (Spa) 69 72, G Clark 74 67, P Dwyer 73 68, H Otto (Rsa) 68 73, T Whitehouse 70 71, A Groom (Aus) 71 70, G Houston 72 69, R Gomez (Arg) 72 69.

142 - M Kirk (USA) 74 68, P Archer 69 73, P Nilbrink (Swe) 73 69, J Huldahl (Den) 72 70, J Elson 69 73, P Nyman (Swe) 68 74, M Jonzon (Swe) 69 73, S Bebb 70 72, M Morris 70 72, G Orr 71 71, J Van de Velde (Fra) 71 71, A Romero (Arg) 71 71, B Hafthorsson (Ice) 68 74, K Sullivan 76 66, J Backstrom (Swe) 72 70.

143 - J Are Larsen (Nor) 70 73, C Suneson (Swe) 74 69, G Canizares (Spa) 71 72, D Lucas 70 73, R Eyraud (Fra) 68 75, R De Sousa (Chi) 73 70, S Jeppesen (Swe) 73 70, R Kakko (Fin) 72 71, TJ Munoz (Spa) 73 70, C Monasterio (Arg) 74 69, I Pyman 72 71, JM Arruti (Spa) 72 71, O Whiteley 71 72, J Little 69 74, A Salto (Spa) 74 69.

144 - N Cheetham 68 76, B Teilleria (Fra) 72 72, C Williams 69 75, D Higgins 75 69, D Griffiths 70 74, A Canete (Arg) 72 72, T Nielsen (Den) 72 72, J Quesne (Fra) 75 69, M Blackey 73 71, M Scarpa (Ita) 71 73, M Mouland 73 71.

145 - D Dixon 76 69, M Nilsson (Swe) 70 75, B Mason 71 74, G Davies 73 72, L Alexandre (Fra) 74 71, D Orr 72 73, E Rush 72 73, J-N Billot (Fra) 75 70, O Bergman (Swe) 72 73, M Lemesurier 74 71, S Fernandez (Arg) 74 71, M Erlandsson (Swe) 68 77, M Higley 73 72, S Struver (Den) 73 72, M Sanders 71 74, C De Corral (Spa) 74 71, G Rojas (Arg) 74 71, J Hall 74 71.

Failed to make the cut: 146 - M Ruiz (Par) 76 70, M Carlsson (Swe) 70 76, S Osborne 75 71, R Pellicioli (Fra) 74 72, J Theunis (Bel) 74 72, R Rock 71 75, J Kok (Rsa) 74 72, S Manley 72 74, M Florioli (Ita) 74 72, N Colsaerts (Bel) 72 74, J Abbate (Arg) 73 73. Selected others: 149 - T Rice 77 72. 152 - M Hoey 74 78. 155 - C Moriarty 80 75.