British Masters:Eighteen-year-old Rory McIlroy went on a real rollercoaster ride at the Belfry before surviving the halfway cut in his first event as a professional today.

Top amateur at The Open in July, the Northern Ireland youngster had opened his pro career with a three under par 69 to be in a share of 14th place in the Quinn Direct British Masters at The Belfry, but in wind and rain he stood on the 16th tee in his second, three over and in danger of missing out.

However, McIlroy birdied the next two before driving into the lake on the last and double-bogeying. To his relief he then discovered that his 78 had still been good enough to put him into the closing 36 holes and therefore guarantee him his first pay cheque.

Meanwhile, Close friends Mark Foster and Lee Westwood went from having dinner together to battling for the lead at The Belfry .

On a day when Ryder Cup Swede Robert Karlsson broke two clubs yet still made the cut and Scot Alastair Forsyth had an 11 on one hole, the two  players overcame strong winds to boost their hopes of capturing the £300,000 first prize on Sunday.

Westwood was talking confidently after adding a 70 to his opening 66 but bogeyed his last two holes.

That finish allowed Foster and Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen to take over at the top, rounds of 66 and 68 respectively taking them on to the seven under par total of 137.

Foster was English amateur champion in 1994 and 1995 and a team-mate of Padraig Harrington in the Walker Cup side which beat the Tiger Woods-led Americans 12 years ago.

But he then had to make six trips to the Tour qualifying school and in the seven years since has managed only five top 10 finishes.

After three birdies in his first five holes today he turned in 33, then pitched to four feet on the second, sank a 15-foot eagle putt at the long third and hit another five-wood into the wind to 12 feet on the 438-yard eighth and made that as well.

Three-putting the last for a second bogey of the day was hardly a blow at all with the hole playing as tough as it was.

Derksen, twice a winner on the circuit, birdied two of his last four holes as the worst of the rain arrived.

"My mindset didn't change," he said. "I didn't think 'I want to be in the clubhouse'. You accept it as part of the game and on these days you look for pars — birdies are bonuses."